Computer Simulation of Buildings and Solar Energy Systems aims to bridge the gap between the basic concepts and theoretical aspects of solar technology, and their practical applications, enabling readers to simulate solar energy systems, solar thermal energy, and thermal performance of buildings. Acknowledging the critical need for robust, scalable simulation tools that can adapt to varied climates, helping professionals and students overcome challenges related to energy efficiency, sustainable urban development, and the optimization of renewable resources, the book covers the fundamentals and latest advances in simulation techniques and tools that are crucial to accelerating the transition to renewable energy. This is supported by case studies, example code, equations, data sets, and extensive visuals such as process diagrams, flowcharts, and photos. This is a valuable resource to readers at various levels, from practitioners looking to enhance their technical skills in renewable energy and building simulation, to academic researchers exploring innovative simulation methodologies, to students looking to understand simulation techniques in this complex, multidisciplinary area.
Table of Contents
1. Mathematical concepts and numerical methods2. History of computing and programming languages
3. Simulation techniques
4. Energy meteorology
5. Solar electricity
6. Thermodynamic cycles and energy conversion devices
7. Solar thermal energy
8. Thermal building simulation Conclusion Appendix
Authors
Juergen Schumacher Senior scientist for urban scale simulations, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.Juergen Schumacher (1952-2020) was a mathematician with a PhD in physics from the University of Oldenburg in Germany, who spent his life developing software tools for renewable energy simulation. With a keen sense of detail, he researched the background of simulation algorithms widely used in the energy community and provided full derivations of many formulas around solar irradiance, the physics of photovoltaic cells, building simulation and other domains. Dr. Schumacher managed the research center for renewable energy technologies at HFT Stuttgart before moving to Concordia University in Montreal as a senior scientist for urban scale simulations.
