Model Validation and Testing: The Methodological Foundation of ASHRAE Standard 140; Preprint

Ideally, whole-building energy simulation programs model all aspects of a building that influence energy use and thermal and visual comfort for the occupants. An essential component of the development of such computer simulation models is a rigorous program of validation and testing. This paper describes a methodology to evaluate the accuracy of whole-building energy simulation programs. Themethodology is also used to identify and diagnose differences in simulation predictions that may be caused by algorithmic differences, modeling limitations, coding errors, or input errors. The methodology has been adopted by ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140 (ANSI/ASHRAE 2001, 2004), Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs. A summary of the method is included inthe ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (ASHRAE 2005). This paper describes the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140 method of test and its methodological basis. Also discussed are possible future enhancements to Standard 140 and related research recommendations.