Infiltration Models in EnergyPlus: Empirical Assessment for a Case Study in a Seven-Story Building

The current decarbonization transition to be achieved by 2050 according to the European Council has given great prominence to the use of Digital Twins as tools for energy management. For their correct operation, it is essential to control the uncertainties of the energy models, which lead to differences between the measured and predicted data. One of the key parameters that is most difficult to assess numerically is air leakage. The existent infiltration models available in EnergyPlus were developed to be applied in low-rise residential buildings with fewer than three stories. Therefore, it is common to rely on air leakage equations employing predefined coefficients. This research presents an empirical assessment of the performance of two EnergyPlus air leakage models, the “Effective Leakage Area” and the “Flow Coefficient”, in predicting dynamic infiltration within the attic of a seven-story building. Blower door tests, along with the application of CO2 tracer gas, were conducted to establish coefficients for the models. Then, they were evaluated in three independent periods according to the criteria established in the American Society for Testing Material D5157 Standard. Those models that only used in situ coefficients consistently met the standard across all three periods, demonstrating for both equations their accurate performance and reliability. For the best model derived from tracer gas data, the R2 and NMSE values are 0.94 and 0.019, respectively. In contrast, the model developed using blower door test data and EnergyPlus default values presented a 64% reduction in accuracy compared to the best one. This discrepancy could potentially lead to misleading energy estimates. Although other software options exist for estimating infiltration, this study specifically targets EnergyPlus users. Therefore, these findings offer valuable insights to make more informed decisions when implementing the infiltration models into energy simulations for high-rise buildings using EnergyPlus.

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