State-Of-The-Art of Digital Tools Used by Architects for Solar Design
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Task 41 - Solar Energy and Architecture Subtask B - Methods and Tools for Solar Design Report T.41.B.1 State-of-the-Art of Digital Tools Used by Architects for Solar Design IEA SHC Task 41 – Solar Energy and Architecture T.41.B.1: State-of-the-art of digital tools used by architects for solar design Task 41 - Solar Energy and Architecture Subtask B - Methods and Tools for Solar Design Report T.41.B.1 State-of-the-art of digital tools used by architects for solar design Editors Marie-Claude Dubois (Université Laval) Miljana Horvat (Ryerson University) Contributors Jochen Authenrieth, Pierre Côté, Doris Ehrbar, Erik Eriksson, Flavio Foradini, Francesco Frontini, Shirley Gagnon, John Grunewald, Rolf Hagen, Gustav Hillman, Tobias Koenig, Margarethe Korolkow, Annie Malouin-Bouchard, Catherine Massart, Laura Maturi, Kim Nagel, Andreas Obermüller, Élodie Simard, Maria Wall, Andreas Witzig, Isa Zanetti Title image : Viktor Kuslikis & Michael Clesle © 2010 Title page : Alissa Laporte 1 IEA SHC Task 41 – Solar Energy and Architecture T.41.B.1: State-of-the-art of digital tools used by architects for solar design CONTRIBUTORS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Jochen Authenrieth Pierre Côté Marie-Claude Dubois (Ed.) BKI GmbH École d’architecture, Task 41, STB co-leader Bahnhofstraße 1 Université Laval École d’architecture, 70372 Stuttgart 1, côte de la Fabrique Université Laval Germany Québec, QC, G1R 3V6 1, côte de la Fabrique [email protected] Canada Québec, QC, G1R 3V6 [email protected] [email protected] Canada marie-claude.dubois @arc.ulaval.ca Doris Ehrbar Erik Eriksson Flavio Foradini Lucerne University of Applied White Arkitekter e4tech Sciences and Arts P.O. Box 4700 E4TECH Sàrl Dept. of Engineering and Östgötagatan 100 Av. Juste-Olivier 2 Architecture SE-116 92 Stockholm 1006 Lausanne Technikumstrasse 21 Sweden Switzerland CH-6048 Horw [email protected] [email protected] Switzerland [email protected] Francesco Frontini Shirley Gagnon John Grunewald Fraunhofer Institut für Solare École d’architecture, Inst. of Building Climatology Energiesysteme ISE Université Laval Faculty of Architecture Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 1, côte de la Fabrique Dresden University of Freiburg, Québec, QC, G1R 3V6 Technology Germany Canada Zellescher Weg 17 francesco.frontini@ [email protected] 01062 Dresden, ise.fraunhofer.de Germany [email protected] Rolf Hagen Gustav Hillmann Miljana Horvat (Ed.) Context AS IBUS - Institut für Bau-, Task 41, STB co-leader Langbrygga 5B Umwelt- und Solarforschung Department of Architectural NO-3724 Skien GmbH Science Norway Caspar-Theyß-Str. 14a Ryerson University [email protected] 14193 Berlin, 350 Victoria St. Germany Toronto, ON, M5B 2H3 [email protected] Canada [email protected] Tobias Koenig Margarethe Korolkow Annie Malouin-Bouchard Data Design System GmbH IBUS – Institut für Bau-, École d’architecture, An der Hansalinie 48-50 Umwelt- und Solarforschung Université Laval 59387 Ascheberg GmbH 1, côte de la Fabrique Nordrhein-Westfalen Caspar-Theyß-Str. 14a Québec, QC, G1R 3V6 Germany 14193 Berlin, Germany Canada margarethe.korolkow@ annie.malouin- ibus-berlin.de [email protected] 2 IEA SHC Task 41 – Solar Energy and Architecture T.41.B.1: State-of-the-art of digital tools used by architects for solar design Catherine Massart Laura Maturi Kim Nagel Architecture et climat EURAC research, Institute for ISAAC-DACD-SUPSI Université Catholique de Renewable Energy Swiss BiPV Centre of Louvain, Place du levant, 1 Universitá degli Studi di competence 1348 LLN Trento Casella postale 105, Trevano Belgium Viale Druso 1, CH - 6952 Canobbio catherine.massart@ I-39100 Bolzano, Switzerland uclouvain.be Italy [email protected] [email protected] Andreas Obermüller Élodie Simard Maria Wall Lieb Obermüller + Partner École d’architecture, Task 41, Operating Agent Müllerstraße 43 Université Laval Energy and Building Design 80469 München 1, côte de la Fabrique Lund University Germany Québec, QC, G1R 3V6 P.O. Box 118 [email protected] Canada SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden [email protected] [email protected] Andreas Witzig Isa Zanetti Vela Solaris AG SUPSI - DACD – ISAAC Stadthausstrasse 125 Casella postale 105 CH-8400 Winterthur, Trevano Switzerland CH - 6952 Canobbio Andreas.witzig@ Switzerland velasolaris.com [email protected] 3 IEA SHC Task 41 – Solar Energy and Architecture T.41.B.1: State-of-the-art of digital tools used by architects for solar design ABSTRACT This report presents a review of existing digital tools widely used today, as part of the Subtask B: Methods and Tools for Solar Design of the IEA SHC Task 41 “Solar Energy and Architecture”. The review covers a total of 56 computer programs, classified according to three categories: 1) CAAD (computer-aided architectural design), 2) visualization, 3) simulation tools. The aim of this review is to analyse the current software landscape for building projects with a focus on early design phase (EDP). The review indicates that there are many CAAD software which today allow passive solar gains prediction (often via whole-building energy simulations): Allplan, ArchiCAD, DDS-CAD PV, MicroStation, Revit and Vectorworks. The review outlines that most CAAD programs are more suited for detailed design than EDP. The non-BIM application Google SketchUp now includes many plugins: IES VE-Ware, OpenStudio, and Google SketchUp Demeter, which allow performing thermal simulations based on IES, EnergyPlus and Green Building Studio. Google SketchUp is widely recognized for being used at EDP and is often used in the architect’s workflow as a predecessor software to other, more complex BIM or non-BIM applications (e.g. AutoCAD). Many CAAD software include algorithms for the prediction or visualization of daylighting, allowing photorealistic 3D rendering or using a visualization tool to perform photorealistic and even physically-accurate light rendering. Finally, amongst the CAAD tools reviewed, Allplan and DDS-CAD PV are explicitly developed for sizing photovoltaics (PV) and/or solar thermal (ST) systems and all CAAD programs linked to EnergyPlus through a plugin or export function (ArchiCAD, Google SketchUp, MicroStation, Revit, Vectorworks) allow active solar systems calculation. All reviewed visualization software include advanced or very advanced algorithms for the simulation of light or daylight. In most software (Flamingo, Kerkythea, LuxRender, Maxwell Render, RenderZone, V-Ray, YafaRay), the approach to rendering is based on the physical laws of illumination. Only one program (LuxRender) explicitly allows choosing between biased and unbiased (physically accurate) rendering. Few visualization programs provide numerical output of light intensity results; the focus is clearly on visualization rather than numerical analysis. In most cases, 3D rendering does not support EDP design decisions; rendering is thought of as a post-design rather than a design tool. None of the visualization tools reviewed explicitly support the design and visualization of PV and/or ST (solar thermal) systems, which is identified as an area in urgent need of development. ISAAC recently developed a 3D CAD object (compatible with ArchiCAD and AutoCAD) to speed up the rendering procedure when integrating PV in architectural objects in order to facilitate and stimulate the use of BiPV (building integrated photovoltaic) systems by architects and designers and to improve the architectural quality of BiPV systems. Many simulation software allow predicting passive solar gains: bSol, DesignBuilder, DPV (Design Performance Viewer), Ecotect, EDG II, ENERGIEplaner, eQUEST, IDA ICE, IES VE, LESOSAI, VisualDOE. bSol, EDG II and LESOSAI do not support a 3D environment and thus offer limited interest for architects. Many simulation software can be used for the estimation of daylighting and daylight availability (DAYSIM, DesignBuilder, Ecotect, eQUEST, IDA ICE, IES VE and Radiance) and only a few are really designed for the estimation of daylight utilization (replacement of electric lighting by daylighting). Also, many simulation software (Ecotect, ENERGIEplaner, eQUEST, IDA ICE, LESOSAI, Polysun, PV*SOL, PVSys, T*Sol, VisualDOE, etc.) allow sizing PV and ST systems. Apart from PVsyst, which offers a preliminary design level, most stand-alone applications for active solar systems are more suited for detailed design than EDP. In general, the review shows that most tools are more suited for detailed design than for EDP. The next step in this project should consist of actually testing the programs using a reference model and interview competent users to find out how to improve the actual tools. 4 IEA SHC Task 41 – Solar Energy and Architecture T.41.B.1: State-of-the-art of digital tools used by architects for solar design EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents a review of existing computer tools widely used by architects today. This review was completed as part of the work plan of Subtask B on methods and tools of the IEA SHC (International Energy Agency-Solar Heating and Cooling Programme) Task 41 called “Solar Energy and Architecture”. This review covers a total of 56 computer programs, which were classified according to three categories: 1. CAAD (computer-aided architectural design) tools; 2. Visualization tools; 3. Simulation tools. The aim of this review is to analyse the current software landscape available for architects, with a focus on early design phase (EDP) decisions of building projects, to identify missing software tools and/or missing functionalities required for encouraging