A handful of questions from a novice!

Pilch · Posts: 16

Hello

I'm just running the trial version of DesignBuilder and likely to purchase the software within the next week or two. I'm currently running a few dummy buildings and have come up with a few sticking points, most of which are probably pretty straightforward. Hopefully someone could point me in the right direction.

1. I don't seem to be able to choose a total lighting wattage over
1,000 - is this an SBEM restriction? I haven't come across it so far.

2. Lighting again - there is no option as far as I can see for
tungsten halogen yet there is in SBEM - where would I find it?

3. Is there a faster way of changing zone activities rather than one
by one? I appreciate I can set the template up for the typical activity
but can I select a few zones somehow and bulk amend them?

4. The navigater on the left has the option of sorting alphabetically
within each block but is there any way of reordering the blocks? I
currently have First floor at the top, followed by second floor followed
by ground floor. I didn't draw them in that order so not sure how it
determines the order, as the blocks aren't in alphabetical, only the
zones within the blocks.

5. I see I can export an image of my model but is there any way of
exporting data, e.g. zone summaries that include wall/floor/ceiling
measurements and conditioning etc?

6. I have selected the shade zones by HVAC in the building options,
however it doesn't seem to have done anything - all my zones are white,
yet I have an array of colours selected for various HVAC systems.

Sorry for lumping them all into one post, any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks

less · Posts: 36 Location: Birmingham, UK

Hi
1. Lighting wattage: do you mean that you are specifying a W/m2 and applying it to a floor area such that those two figures multiplied together exceed 1000 as this would be the only way to set this and I have not found it a problem.
2. Tungsten Halogen does not exist in iSBEM: use Tungsten or Chosen option.
3. Yes you can: Choose File->Load Data from Template, tick data type you wish to assign, then select zones in Target tab
4. Not certain but I don't think so
5. You can export csv data files to a folder of your choice. Native csv data files are kept within your 'Documents and Settings' subfolder (Local Settings\Application Data\DesignBuilder\SBEM. Other files you create after a calculation are stored here. Take a look.
6. Did you get this option from Building Model Options? I can't see it
Hope to see you soon
Andrew Bairstow
DesignBuilder Support

Andy Tindale · Posts: 1235 Location: Stroud

Just to add to Andrews points, you can enter the values of lighting intensity greater than 40 W/m2 by switching off sliders in the first tab of the program options dialog. Maybe this will help with your question 1.

The shade options by HVAC template isn't working at the moment and we will get this working properly for version 2.

Andy

Pilch · Posts: 16

Thanks for the reply Andrew (and Andy).

1. Think I worded this badly. In iSBEM, you can choose between three options, the first one being 'full lighting design carried out' and you enter the total wattage in a zone - I can't see this specific option in DB, which offers W/m2 rather than total wattage. I was originally trying to enter >1,000 in option 3 in DB, which is actually lumens/W not total wattage. Do I manually have to calculate W/m2 in that case?

2. My fault, sorry. I guess I was just looking for something other than GLS.

3. Thank you, saves a load of time!

4. Ok

5. Thanks, managed to find it.

6. Yes, in building model options, but Andy's comment noted.

Incidentally, I have now purchased DB and fully intend to go on the training course however just cannot spare the time in the short term to take two days away. Hope to soon though. Thanks again for the help, if you can clarify #1 I'd be most grateful.

Regards
Alistair

less · Posts: 36 Location: Birmingham, UK

Alistair
Yes you need to manually calculate the area and divide by it. Use the value which appears in the navigation panel for that zone floor surface
Regards
Andrew

Pilch · Posts: 16

Thanks Andy. The problem I have then is I need to input the design illuminance (lux). Do you take a typical figure based upon the zone use, so say 500 for an office (taken from CIBSE Guide F) or would you need the specific figure that was intended when constructed? Also, how would you then approach this for a 16th century dark and dingy pub? Or is the answer a light meter?!

Thanks
Alistair

less · Posts: 36 Location: Birmingham, UK

This option is only meant to be used when design data is available. I would guess that these should be based on standard surface reflectances as the interior decoration of the space should not be 'reflected' in the EPC.
Andrew

Pilch · Posts: 16

Thanks Andrew, that makes sense, yes, but the problem I get is if I choose the design option and then calculate my w/m2 for each zone, when I then run the EPC, it produces an error saying design illuminance has not been set and in an existing building, I don't know what this is. This leaves only the option of choosing lamp type or selecting chosen, however for the latter I won't know the efficacy.

I guess in summary, in iSBEM, you have the option of choosing total wattage for the zone and it will run without the requirement for the lux (design illuminance) yet in DB this is not available.

less · Posts: 36 Location: Birmingham, UK

Design settings should only be used if design average illuminance is available. I must admit that I have used the fact that iSBEM would calculate without including illuminance when I used iSBEM.
Andrew

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