U.S. Engineers Train Vietnamese Counterparts on How to Model Energy Efficient Buildings

Friday, May 19, 2017

On May 15-19, USAID, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and the Ministry of Construction held a training session to develop energy efficient prototype building models for Vietnam as part of USAID’s Vietnam Clean Energy Program. PNNL trained participants using a simulation tool that assesses the impact of energy efficiency standards and policies for buildings.  In the U.S., this tool was used to facilitate a 50% increase in building energy efficiency standards from 1975 to 2013.  Two senior PNNL experts provided trainees with the concept, design, operation, and climate characteristics of model American buildings and helped participants adapt them to Vietnam’s context using simulation software. These 20 participants, mostly from consultancy companies, government research institutes and universities, will be the first generation of engineers in Vietnam to develop a prototype building, which will be used by policy makers to do energy use analysis and projections related to building energy codes and policies. The results will be used to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of building energy code compliance to building owners, and policy makers that