[Bldg-sim] Indoor thermal inertia simulation

[Heeren Niko]

Dear colleagues,

we will soon be launching a project that will investigate different aspects of wood as a construction material. One of the work packages will look into the differences in space heat demand, due to the effect of thermal inertia, for different wall compositions.

Currently I am assembling a list of simulation software that is well fit for this task. So far I was thinking of EnergyPlus, IDA-ICE and TRNSYS. 

My first guess would be that all of those tools are sufficient for such an analysis. However I would be happy about an expert opinion on that.
Does someone here have any experience on that particular matter?
Do you know studies that compare different software solutions, including the issue of thermal inertia?
Would you oppose certain software or suggest other ones?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Kind regards,
Niko Heeren.


ETH Zurich
Institute of Construction Engineering and Management
Chair of Sustainable Construction

Niko Heeren, M.Sc., MAS EPFL
Scientific Assistant
Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 15, HIL F 27.3
8093 Zurich, Switzerland

phone +41 44 633 64 49
fax +41 44 633 10 88
heeren at ibi.baug.ethz.ch
www.ibb.ethz.ch/nb/index_EN