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P. Mathew, A. Mahdavi, V. Hartkopf:
"Towards the building as powerplant: Computational analysis of building energy self-sustenance.";
in: "Proceedings of Building Simulation 99. ", Proceedings of Building Simulation 99. Sixth International IBPSA Conference. Kyoto, Japan Vol.II, 1999, ISBN: 4-931416-02-0, 707 - 714.

In recent years there have been a number of research and development initiatives directed at integrated energy generation systems which can meet the energy requirements of a building substantially or even completely on-site. With the appropriate integration of passive and active technologies, it may even be possible for buildings to be net exporters of energy - the "Building as Power Plant".
This paper focuses on the computational modeling of such systems. We begin with an overview of the concept, motivation and objectives of the Building as Power Plant. We then define and describe indices for building Energy Self-Sustenance (ESS), which take into account the degree of "fit" between energy supply and demand profiles. Through a series of illustrative examples, we demonstrate the use of these indices to support the analysis of alternative design options for the Building as Power Plant.
In the latter part of the paper, we propose and outline a Building-as-Power-Plant design support tool, which will allow users to evaluate the energy self-excisting energy simulation tools, extending them to include the analytical simulation of current and emerging building-integrated energy generation systems.