14.1 Analyzing a Detailed Model

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1. Open a detailed model in Revit.

2. Set thermal properties for building elements (roofs, walls, floors, glazing) by using the Edit Type/Type Properties tool in Revit.  Glazing should have Analytical Properties assigned for each glazing family to be analyzed.  Setting thermal properties for one glazing type will assign this to all instances of that type in the Revit project.

3. You may check the Energy Settings in Revit are correct for your project before opening FenestraPro for Revit.  Check Phase, Ground Plane and Perimeter Depth is correct for your project. An Energy Model will be created automatically in any event once FenestraPro is loaded but it is good practice to create the Energy Model in Revit to check for warnings.  Warnings may be reviewed under Revit’s Manage tab – Warnings.

4. Open FenestraPro for Revit from the Revit Add-in Menu.

5. Select an option for Detailed models (1. Spatial Elements (if there are Rooms/Spaces placed) or 2. Building Elements (if there are no Rooms/Spaces))

Open FenestraPro for Revit on the Add-in Menu and chose an option for Detailed models

6. Check settings in the Building Manager such as Location, Terrain, Building Use and Occupancy.  Calculate Solar Loads in the Building Manager.  Check Calculate Shading Factors if the project has significant shading effects from surrounding buildings, self-shading due to it’s design shape or shade devices on the model.  There are more details on the Building Manager here.

Check the Settings in Building Manager and Calculate Solar Loads
Once values display, close the Building Manager

7. In the Performance area, create an Energy Standard/Building Code for your project based on Site Location eg. if the project is to be located in the USA, create a Code based on an appropriate Building Code (such as Ashrae 90.1).  If the project is to be located in the Middle East, Asia or Europe, create an appropriate Code to suit the appropriate country’s regulations. There are more details on Code creation here.

Under the Performance tab click on the plus symbol to create a Code. Input values for each category (Roof, Floor, Glazing, Wall).  Save this Code and these targets will be compared to element properties in the model to indicate current compliance.

Create an Energy Standard/Building Code targets for your project

8. Properties for building elements (walls, floors roofs etc) may be modified/improved in Revit’s Edit Type/Type Properties and to the Element assembly, by modifying the layers and materials.  Generic Walls and Floors for example should have material layers set so that thermal properties are assigned in Revit.  Solid elements require layers of materials to build up a thermal value.  Ensure that the Thermal tab is added to the parameters so that materials may be associated to each layer.  Glazing Properties may be adjusted here also or by using the Glass Database in the application.  See Section 7.3 for information on using this tool.

Anytime that these properties are changed, they will be read by FenestraPro for Revit and the results will update.  Please click on the Refresh button on the Dashboard to update the results.

Select a model element (1), open Type Properties (2) and use the Edit button (3) to modify properties if required

9. Expand the Facade Navigator (1) to display the list of Facades and Surfaces.  This panel may be pinned to prevent collapsing if required (2). Open the Charts to review areas with high values which may require attention (3). In this model, Facade 8 South has high results and requires attention. To reduce the Heat Gain,  glazing performance may be increased, fritting or shading devices added.

10. Review Shading Effects on the model by opening the Shading Viewer.  A date may be chosen from the list or click on the Play button to view the sequence. The Shading Viewer is covered in more detail here.

11.  Glazing Types may be modified using the application.  Select a Surface(s) from the list in the Facade Navigator (1) or select a glazed model element from the model (window or curtain panel). Under the Glass Database tab (2), select a Glass Type (3)  (the list may be sorted and filtered to find a suitable Glass) then Apply to the model (4).  Only glazed families on the selected Surface will receive the new Glass Type.  A message will display to advise if you wish to apply to other instances of this Revit family or only to this Surface.  Note: New Glass Types may require a restart of Revit the first time, to be added to Revit’s internal list.  Once this is done, it will be available for all future projects.

12. A Snapshot (report) may be created if results need to be saved for review.  There are options for an Excel or HTML Report.  If modifications are made to the model and glazing is adjusted, a further Report may be created for comparison.  Snapshots are covered in more detail in Section 8.0.

13. Windows may be added to any solid wall on the model (this uses the FenestraPro window family) or Curtain Walls may be generated on the Revit model.  Glazing is generated from the application using performance targets. It will be necessary to recalculate the Solar Loads after Window and Curtain Wall generation (see Section 7.5 and Section 7.6).

14. Shading devices may be added to the detailed model such as generic shading families, mass objects as canopies/vertical fins or surrounding buildings which may have a shading effect.  The Solar Loads will need to be recalculated in the Building Manager (with the Shading Factors turned on) after these are added so that the effects can be included in the results. Shading Effects are covered in Section 5.2.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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