Reaching Our Target Audience

Are we reaching the intended end users of the products and results of the IEA SHC Tasks? This is a question that must be at the forefront as we carry out our collaborative projects. For if we don't reach the architects, builders, building owners, tool developers and users, engineers, solar manufacturers, etc. who are intended to be our target audience, our efforts will not have the desired impact. For this reason, all IEA SHC projects will now have a greater market emphasis.

In the meantime, we can point to a few examples of successful adoption by end users of products and designs emanating from the IEA SHC Programme.

Active Solar System Researchers and Manufacturers Work Closely

Cooperation between industry representatives and researchers in Task 14--Advanced Active Solar Systems--has resulted in a better understanding by each group of "the other side" and the quickest implementation of the results, indeed even during the lifetime of the project. The enthusiasm for this interaction was expressed in a letter to the Executive Committee from the industry participants who were directly involved in the Task 14 work. The letter indicated that Task research findings have been reflected in new or modified solar system products in Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland. "Furthermore," states the letter, "we believe all participants would agree that the industry input has improved the quality of the outcome of the research." In addition to ongoing involvement by industry participants in the research, each Task meeting featured a workshop with local industry representatives to exchange ideas.

Low Energy House Designs Adopted

The ideas used in the designs of the Task 13 solar low energy experimental buildings are being picked up by other designers and builders. For example, the concept for the three-story attached house in Berlin has been adapted by another German builder and implemented in a dwelling elsewhere. The architectural design is somewhat different, but the energy system is the same. Some of the ideas and systems used in the Dutch project for an apartment building in Amstelveen are now being used in other housing projects in which the same contractor is involved. This contractor is very interested in learning about new technologies and is even trying to develop some of the ideas further, using his practical construction experience to complement the knowledge of the researchers. Finally, ideas from the Austrian design have been adopted by some builders.

BESTEST Method Approved

To improve the accuracy of energy software and help designers gain confidence in computer predictions, researchers in IEA SHC Task 12 (together with participants from IEA Building and Community Systems Task 21) helped develop and validate BESTEST, Building Energy Simulation Test and Diagnostic Method. This procedure systematically compares whole building energy simulation programs and determines the algorithms responsible for predictions differences. The results generated with the reference programs are intended to be useful for evaluating other detailed or simplified building energy performance prediction tools.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers is adopting BESTEST as a "standard method of test." And after reviewing a draft version of BESTEST, the California State Energy Commission approved the method for evaluating its building energy analysis software.