IES <Virtual Environment> Live e-training Trainee notes VE-Gaia SI Units Version 6.4 Introduction These training notes are to be used in conjunction with your VE-Gaia training. In this training session you will be shown how to use VE-Gaia, IES s sustainable design workflow navigator, available as an option within the IES <Virtual Environment>. Prior to using VE-Gaia, you will need to use ModelIT or the Geometry navigator to create the building geometry from scratch or to edit the geometry. You can also edit geometry which has been imported from SketchUp or Revit (via the IES SketchUp or Revit plugins) or via a gbxml import. Additionally, prior to using VE-Gaia, you will need to use Apache or the Data navigator to create and assign constructions, HVAC system data and thermal templates. This VE-Gaia training assumes that you have already been trained in ModelIT and Apache. These notes accompany the e-training lecture and act as a reference point for your further study. The trainer will show you how to perform various functions as shown in the following pages, and images are included to assist you in following the trainer as the session proceeds, and to act as a memory jogger after the session. For more detailed help you can use the Help menu within the specific IES application, and also you can refer to the user guides accessible from the <VE> Help menu. 1
What is included in Gaia? VE-Gaia includes the following workflow Navigators: Climate Climate exploration, analysis and review; including consideration of future climate predictions. Draw the relevant characteristics related to impact of climate on potential efficiency measures to the surface for evaluation, and understand with the IES Climate Index the potential the climate has to affect the amount of energy a building needs to achieve occupant comfort. General output on ASHRAE/Koeppen-Geiger climate classification, temperature, moisture/humidity, wind, precipitation, solar energy, diurnal swing and Mahoney comfort stress analysis. IES Climate Energy Index output includes global comparison and breakdown of potential energy types. Bioclimatic analysis Extends the climate analysis of the selected weather file; analyzing climate metrics and deriving an extensive set of suggestions about urban layout, built form and building design strategy. The assessment is focused on low-energy & passive strategies. Natural Resources Understand the available potential for solar/wind energy and rainwater resources. Building metrics Dominant heat exchange characteristics and other metrics of the building. Materials Headline summary of materials used. Solar Shading Solar shading animation capability across a choice of date ranges. Set your Azimuth and Altitude. Building Energy/Carbon Performs a dynamic thermal simulation. Interrogates a range of energy and carbon metrics without shading, with simple external shading, or with advanced solar penetration using a dynamic thermal simulation at sub-hourly time-steps. Includes whole-building annual energy/carbon results, energy breakdown by end use, monthly carbon emissions, max/min results for temperature, humidity and comfort at a room level, and a per room peak loads breakdown based on dynamic simulation. Building Heating & Cooling Loads Production of building, system and room heating/cooling loads figures, including peak loads, loads breakdown and cooling air flow rates. Choice of ASHRAE and CIBSE calculation methods. Simple LZCT (Low and Zero-Carbon Technologies) Feasibility assessment of user selected renewables and low carbon technologies in relation to delivered energy and carbon emission mitigation. 2
Daylighting Provides an indication of daylight performance against a fixed threshold. Define the spaces used in the analysis and evaluate amount, size and shape of glazing with visual and tabular results. Water Workflow reviewing water availability, appliance water use and reduction potential. Understanding water availability, allows suitable reduction targets to be set, while consumption predictions and assessment of potential for efficiencies, and rainwater/greywater/blackwater use gives rapid insight into the impact of potential strategies. Occupancy and fixture type selections can be set to establish a baseline, and a proposed design; reduction measures can be defined and reviewed for potential impact of water use reduction. LEED, BREEAM and Green Star calculation approaches are offered. Gaia Output The output from Gaia is in the form of visually rich reports which can be saved anywhere on your system. 3
Accessing the Gaia navigators Navigator Quality Assurance functions Each navigator item has a notepad, check box (to remind you that you have completed that item) and an optional date/time stamp. Some navigator items perform functions when you click on them, and some navigator items are simply reminders (similar to items in a checklist) for you to do something. Additionally, the entire workflow for a project can be copied and pasted (for example into a Word document). 4
VE-Gaia Navigator items Climate When to use The Climate navigator allows you to analyse climate files and to compare them. You can assess the effects of climate change. Location and Weather file You will be shown how to set the site location and to select the weather file. 5
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Climate metrics Climate Metrics allows you to see how different climates compare against each other. Headline report 7
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Climate index This feature shows the energy required to maintain the CEI comfort conditions based on climate conditions alone, for three types of hours in use, so you can compare different locations. Simulate 9
Climate change This performs the same Climate Metrics and Climate Index analyses as before, but allows you to select a different weather file. For example, if you have a predicted weather file from 2050 you can perform analyses and compare them with existing weather data. The chart below shows temperature distribution results for a hotter weather file than in the previous climate metrics analysis. 10
Bioclimatic Analysis When to use This navigator extends the climate analysis of the selected weather file; analyzing climate metrics and deriving an extensive set of suggestions about urban layout, built form and building design strategy. The assessment is focused on low-energy & passive strategies. Location and Weather We have already covered the setup of location and climate file. Bio-climate analysis Simulate 11
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Natural resources When to use This will give you an indication of how useful natural resources (sun, wind and rain) could be, in meeting your building energy and water loads. Location and Weather We have already covered the setup of location and climate file. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). 14
Model Data To create and edit the construction, thermal and HVAC system data for the building you need to use the Data navigator (creating this data is covered in Apache training). Natural resources Enter collection area and simulate 15
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Building metrics When to use This feature summarises the characteristics of your building in terms of type, dimensions and form. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). 17
Model Data To create and edit the construction, thermal and HVAC system data for the building you need to use the Data navigator (creating this data is covered in Apache training). Set building type This will run the Building Template Manager where you can set thermal data (creating this data is covered in Apache training). Building metrics Simulate If you haven t done so previously, you will first need to select the building type from a list. 18
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Materials When to use This feature summarises the materials used in your building and allows you to sort the materials used in order of volume or weight. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). 20
Model data The creation and assignment of constructions will have already been covered in separate Apache training but we will give a brief summary here. Materials Simulate 21
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Solar Shading When to use This tool will allow you to generate a shading movie for your building over the course of the equinox day and the solstice days, for a chosen view position. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). You should also model any local or surrounding shading as applicable. 23
Solar Simulation 24
Building energy/carbon When to use Here, a full dynamic thermal simulation is performed on your building, to predict energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and room comfort. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). Model Data To create and edit the construction, thermal and HVAC system data for the building you need to use the Data navigator (creating this data is covered in Apache training). 25
Simulation 26
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Building heating and cooling loads When to use This tool will perform heating and cooling load calculations on your building, to provide individual room loads or heating/cooling system loads. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). Model Data To create and edit the construction, thermal and HVAC system data for the building you need to use the Data navigator (creating this data is covered in Apache training). 29
Loads calculation 30
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Simple LZCT (Low and zero carbon technologies) When to use This will allow you to try out various renewable or low carbon technologies to assess their effect on energy and carbon dioxide emissions of your proposed building, compared with a baseline building. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). Model Data To create and edit the construction, thermal and HVAC system data for the building you need to use the Data navigator (creating this data is covered in Apache training). 32
Simple LZCT Edit LZCT data 33
Simulate 34
Daylighting When to use Here you can perform daylight assessments on your building to predict daylight levels and daylight factors for the building as a whole, or for individual rooms. You can select to exclude or include the effect of light penetration through internal windows. Model geometry To create and edit the building geometry, or to import the building geometry you need to use the Geometry navigator (model geometry creation and editing is covered in ModelIT training). Model Data 35
Daylight simulation Select spaces for simulation Select simple/advanced & simulate 36
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Water When to use The Water navigator enables you to investigate natural resources available (including rainfall) and to analyse building water usage and the potential benefits of water recycling and water saving features. Location and weather We have already covered the setup of location and climate file. 38
Model geometry We have already covered the creation of the model geometry in the Geometry navigator. For the Water navigator you do not need to include doors and windows and you do not need to include shading obstructions. The building geometry can be simple all that is required is the correct floor area. Model data Create & name template(s) and edit room types This will run the Building Template Manager where you can set the room type (creating this data is covered in Apache training). 39
Edit people gains This will run the Building Template Manager. Water consumption is based on the occupancy in the building. This is set as People in the Internal Gains tab in the Thermal templates. Assign templates Here you assign Thermal templates to selected rooms. 40
Climate Metrics We have already covered the Climate Metrics facility in the Climate navigator. In this instance, rainfall data is especially of interest. 41
Water use This allows you to compare the water consumption of your proposed building against a baseline building. Edit appliance data 42
Simulate This concludes the VE-Gaia training session. 43