PILESIM2: Simulation Tool for Heating/Cooling Systems with Energy Piles or multiple Borehole Heat Exchangers

PILESIM2 is a dynamic simulation programme for the assessment of the thermal performances of a heating/cooling system which uses energy piles or borehole heat exchangers. The long-term effects, which can be determinant in correctly sizing such an installation, can be simulated for up to 50 years. A user-friendly interface allows the user to define the parameters relative to his particular problem: heating and cooling demand, heat pump and cooling machine, energy piles or borehole heat exchangers, local geology and hydrogeology. Several system configurations are available. The piles or boreholes can be directly coupled to the distribution of the cooling energy, or through the intermediary of a cooling machine. The system can be bivalent, i.e. auxiliary energy can be provided in order to meet the heating and cooling requirements. PILESIM2 was developed at the ISAAC of SUPSI. The development was supported financially by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (OFEN). PILESIM2 takes advantage of the experience gained from the simulation of systems with energy piles, including the pile system of Dock Midfield at Zurich airport (development and validation of simulation tools).