Getting Started with Energy Analysis in Revit

Seven Steps to Mastering the Basic Energy Analysis Workflow

Step 1 - Model Your Project

Revit supports Massing and Detailed Model Construction

Energy Analysis features in Revit, powered by Green Building Studio, are integrated into Revit’s massing and building element modeling environments making it much easier to integrate energy analysis into your existing workflows. No need to switch to a different tool for energy analysis when you are using the latest version of Revit.

Step 2 - Define Model Location

Pick a Weather Station that Best Fits Your Project Environment

Accurate location and climate information are key elements when creating a valid energy analysis. Revit’s location dialog makes the task of geolocating your project easy and clear. Once a position is defined, you can select the local weather file that best matches your project’s weather.

Step 3 - Define Energy Settings

Describe your Building Type, Construction, and Operating Schedule

A little information goes a long way with the Energy Analysis integration in Revit. Revit exposes basic parameters (building type, constructions, and HVAC system type) that provide enough design intent to create a valid energy simulation for many comparative analyses.

Step 4 - Simulate

Location and Weather Station are Critical for Analysis Validity

Once your model is built, you are five clicks away from getting whole building energy results. Revit 2014 has improved capabilities to automatically identify spaces in your model, which allows you to get results 10 times faster than prior versions. There is now no need to place spaces or rooms.

Step 5 - Analyze Results

Check Your Project’s Potential Energy Savings and Adjust Constructions as Needed

With your analysis runs completed, you can quickly see what building features are having the greatest impact on energy use.

Step 6 - Check Results in the Cloud

Extended Functionality is Available in Green Building Studio

If you want to explore each individual run’s results, you are two clicks away from seeing more details on the Green Building Studio website. You can then use a variety of additional features to compare runs or projects.

Step 7 - Share with the Team

Collaborate with Team Members to Maximize Productivity

From the Results and Compare screen in Revit, you can email your results to team members, or you can export a pdf, gbXML, DOE-2, or EnergyPlus file to continue more detailed analyses with your design team and other energy consultants.

Getting Started with Energy Analysis in Vasari

Eight Steps to Mastering Conceptual Energy Analysis Workflow

Step 1 - Define Location

Pick a Weather Station that Best Fits your Project Environment

Accurate location information is a key element in creating a valid energy analysis. Vasari’s location dialog makes the task of geolocating your project easy and clear. Once selected your project’s location, you can choose the local weather file that best suits your project’s weather.

Step 2 - Create a Mass

Vasari is a Quick and Easy Massing Environment

Green Building Studio is integrated into Vasari making it much easier to integrate energy analysis into your existing conceptual design workflows. No need to change to a separate analysis tool when you are using Vasari.

Step3 - Add Floors

Levels Automation Makes Creating Floors a Snap

Floor to ceiling heights are required to add key information for Vasari to do its zoning magic (see Step 4). Simply add as many levels as you need, where you need them; and then enable floors in your massing model.

Step 4 - Enable the Energy Model

ASHRAE Compliant Zoning Insures Proper Energy Model Construction

With the click of a button, Vasari adds zones and glazing for windows and skylights. For designs that do not have any spaces defined, ASHRAE guidelines are followed.

Step 5 - Define Energy Settings

Location and Weather Station are Critical for Reasonable Analysis Results

A little information goes a long way with the Green Building Studio integration into Vasari. Vasari exposes various parameters that can quickly provide design intent on energy-impacting features in your model such as building type, constructions, and HVAC system type.

Step 6 - Analyze

The Analytical Model (gbXML) and Weather Data are Passed to the Cloud for Analysis.

Once your model is built, you are a few clicks away from getting whole building energy results.

Step 7 - Review Results

Check your Project’s Potential Energy Savings and Adjust Constructions as Needed

With all your analysis runs completed, you can quickly see what building features are having the greatest impact on energy use in your building design, as well as see details on your base run.

Step 8 - Collaborate

Share With Team Members to Maximize Productivity

From the Results and Compare screen, you can email your results to team members, or export a pdf, gbXML, DOE-2, or EnergyPlus file to conduct more detailed analyses with your team or consultants.

Getting Started with Green Building Studio

Seven Steps to Mastering Basic Energy Analysis Workflow

Step 1 - Model Your Project

Green Building Studio Supports a Variety of gbXML Modelers

The majority of today’s Building Information Modeling solutions support Green Building XML (gbXML), the world’s leading schema for transporting building performance analysis data. Green Building Studio has extensive gbXML support. Because of this, you can create your building model with a wide variety of modeling tools.

Step 2 - Export gbXML

GBS Supports both Conceptual and Detailed Models

Once your model is built (and depending on the modeling tool you have) you can then export your building details to a gbXML file. This file contains the geometry necessary for building performance analysis. Depending on your modeling tool, additional data might include construction performance data, internal gains, schedules of operation, and basic HVAC information. Green Building Studio will then automatically fill in any missing data necessary for energy analysis using its extensive database of intelligent defaults (taken from ASHRAE Standards and many other industry-recognized sources).

Step 3 – Sign in to Green Building Studio and Create a Project

All Projects Require a Building Type and Location Operating Schedule

Creating a project on Green Building Studio is very simple; simply enter the location of the project and the building type. There are several other project level parameters you can add for utility costs, currency, time zone, building schedule, building-level defaults for internal gains, constructions, HVAC systems, and DHW.

Step 4 - Import gbXML into Green Building Studio

Analysis is Initiated by Uploading the gbXML File

Once your project has been created, you can import the gbXML that was exported from your modeling tool on the Green Building Studio web page.

Step 5 - Analysis Processing

Analysis Requires a Few Minutes to Complete

Your baseline energy analysis and Potential Energy Savings runs will be complete in a matter of minutes.

Step 6 - Review Results

The Potential Energy Savings Chart is Available in the Far Right Column of the Runs List

With all your runs completed you can quickly see what building features are having the greatest impact on energy in your building design. For more detail, drill down to each individual run result as needed.

Step 7 - Share with the Team

Collaborate With Team Members to Maximize Productivity

Green Building Studio offers many ways to collaborate with your team members. Your firm’s runs will be available in a central location, and you can invite anyone to your projects. You can also export gbXML, DOE-2, and EnergyPlus files from Green Building Studio to continue more detailed analyses with your team or consultants.