Encapsulation of validation tests in the ESP-r simulation program

It is well recognised that validation of dynamic building simulation programs is a long-term complex task. There have been many large national and international efforts that have led to a well-established validation methodology comprising analytical, inter-program comparison and empirical validation components, and a significant number of tests have been developed. As simulation usage increases, driven by such initiatives as the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, such tests are starting to be incorporated into national and international standards. Although many program developers have run many of the developed tests, there does not appear to have been a systematic attempt to incorporate such tests into routine operation of the simulation programs. This paper reports work undertaken to address this deficiency. The paper summarizes the tests which have been applied to the simulation program ESP-r. These tests have been developed within the International Energy Agency Annexes, within CEN standards, within various largescale national projects, and by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. It will then describe work undertaken to encapsulate validation tests within the simulation program. The resulting structure allows developers to ensure that recent code modifications have not resulted in unforeseen impacts on program predictions, and allows users to check for themselves against benchmarks.