BESTEST

Method for testing and diagnosing the simulation capabilities of the exterior envelope portions of building energy simulation programs. BESTEST (Building Energy Simulation TEST) evaluates design and analysis tools relative to their ability to adequately model the envelope dynamics of buildings. It has been adapted for certifying tools for Home Energy Rating Systems and by other organizations.
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Three versions of BESTEST are currently available: IEA BESTEST (detailed hourly (or shorter) time-step simulation programs), HERS BESTEST (detailed and simplified programs with an emphasis on modeling houses), and Florida BESTEST (hot-humid climates).

Keywords

exterior envelope simulation program capability tests

Validation/Testing

N/A

Expertise Required

Understanding of the underlying physics and the programs to be tested.

Users

100.

Audience

Program developers and testers, software users.

Input

Building thermal and physical characteristics as specified in the test case descriptions; weather data provided on diskette with user manual.

Output

The program undergoing the test procedure must be at least capable of outputting annual heating and cooling loads.

Computer Platform

Any platform.

Programming Language

N/A

Strengths

Reveals the strengths and weaknesses of a given software package in a methodical way.

Weaknesses

Users may have to modify their code to perform BESTEST cases. This tends to occur for simplified software with many fixed assumptions.

Contact

Availability

Available from technical contact.

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