Impact of solar irradiation models on building refurbishment measures from multi-objective optimization

The European energy regulations encourage the refurbishment of existing buildings in order to ensure a reduction of the energy use. The choice of the optimal solutions is actually a trade-off problem between conflicting goals. For this reason, multiobjective optimization techniques can be coupled with building energy simulation (BES). However, even if validated BES codes are used, some discrepancies arise due to the accuracy of implemented models, such as those related to the elaboration of solar irradiation profiles. This research work investigates the extent to which the choice of solar irradiation models can affect the robustness of the Pareto front for several building configurations in two Italian climates. The results highlight the building characteristics reducing the robustness of Pareto front solutions. Nonetheless, the analysis shows a low sensitivity of cost and energy optimal solutions to the uncertainty introduced by solar models.