Comparison of Simplified and Detailed Window Models in Energy Simulations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to quantify the gap between the calculated energy need of a building model with simplified and detailed windows and suggest a method for reducing the gap. We composed a model of a detached house in the cold climate of Estonia and studied its energy needs with triple and quadruple windows. Standard window models resulted in heating need lower by up to 7% and cooling need higher by up to 23%. In case of triple windows multiplying the U-value of standard window models by 1.15 minimized the mismatch in the calculated energy needs with different window models.