A dynamic model for the thermal-hygrometric simulation of buildings

Dynamic models for the energy simulation of building-plant systems are becoming useful tools in the process of building design by defining operating conditions and finding appropriate control strategies. Therefore simple softwares able to correctly predict the thermal behaviour of rooms, and thus allowing to get comfort conditions and loads, are needed. In this paper a dynamic simulation model (THESIS, ``THermal SImulation Software") is presented. The building structures equations are described by means of a LTI (Linear Time Invariant) state space model. The heat conduction equations for the walls are solved through an explicit finite difference technique. The model is implemented in the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment.