IEA EBC Annex 70: Building Energy Epidemiology: Analysis of Real Building Energy Use at Scale

Within the framework of the IEA-EBC Annex 70, causes of deviations between calculated and actual energy consumption in buildings were empirically investigated and requirements for data quality, characteristics and security were developed. Furthermore, recommendations were developed regarding the use of internationally uniform standards and methods for data collection, processing and evaluation.

Short Description

The IEA EBC Annex 70 (Building Energy Epidemiology: Analysis of Real Building Energy Use at Scale) aimed to investigate the complex interaction between (physical) technical systems, socio-economic framework conditions and individual consumption behaviour. Within the scope of the annex, causes for deviations of calculated energy consumption from actual consumption were empirically investigated and requirements for data quality, characteristics and security were elaborated. Furthermore, recommendations were developed regarding the use of internationally uniform standards and methods of data collection, processing and evaluation. Another key aspect of Annex 70 was the comparison of different approaches to the development of building stock models in order to derive pathways and scenarios for energy demand and associated CO2 emissions from the building stock.

A survey was conducted to identify the requirements for building-related energy data, their frequency of use and data access. A standardised online questionnaire was developed for the survey, responses were collected anonymously and analysed. In two subtasks, national case studies were prepared on the use of building-related energy data and on the handling of data availability, harmonisation and data security. In Subtask C, an analysis of the sensitivity and uncertainty of techno-socio-economic building stock models was carried out and the input parameters with the greatest influence on the results were examined.

The results of Annex 70 are in detail:

  • Identification of demand profiles of different target groups in order to describe needs and requirements of data collection and information processing,
  • Empirical collection and verification of the validity of building data regarding the performance gap of energy consumption,
  • Development of best practices in data collection and analysis of building-related energy consumption data, and
  • Comparison of different approaches in the development and application of building stock models, in particular with regard to the methods used to systematically determine uncertainties in the results of input data.

In order to support the process of systematic data collection and management along the life cycle of a building, a standardised protocol that eases the access, storage, updating and transmission of building-related data and information in a standardised format along the value chain was created based on a harmonised classification of data/information. With the data repository of EBC Annex 70, a basis was laid to provide a central database with globally available data sets and models.

Project Images

Terms of use: The pictures listed underneath the header “Project Pictures” originate from the projects in the frame of the programmes City of Tomorrow, Building of Tomorrow and the IEA Research Cooperation. They may be used credited for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC).

Publications

Publications are available on the website of IEA EBC Annex 70.

Participants

Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom (Operating Agent), USA

Contact Address

Mag.(FH) Hannes Warmuth (Projektleiter)
Österreichische Gesellschaft für Umwelt und Technik
Hollandstraße 10/46, 1020 Wien
Email: hannes.warmuth@oegut.at

DI Armin Knotzer
AEE – Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien (AEE INTEC)
Feldgasse 19, 8200 Gleisdorf
Email: a.knotzer@aee.at

Dr. Lukas Kranzl
Technische Universität Wien, Institut für Energiesysteme und elektrische Antriebe, Energy Economics Group
Gusshausstraße 25-29/370-3, 1040 Wien
Email: Lukas.Kranzl@tuwien.ac.at