Coupling of dynamic thermal bridge and whole-building simulation

The effect of thermal bridges on the overall energy performance of buildings is not fully taken into account in standard compliance methods. Steady-state methods are predominately deployed for thermal bridge analysis. One important issue that is often underestimated is the dynamic performance of thermal bridges under different exterior climate conditions. This paper shows the coupling of a hygrothermal whole-building simulation software with a three-dimensional dynamic thermal bridge simulation. The basics of the hygrothermal whole-building model and the thermal bridge model are explained. The coupling of both models allows the validation of the software for standard conform computations. The steady-state validation of the thermal bridge model was successful and allows the discussion of application areas in a dynamic simulation.