Exchange Energy Analysis Model (Zones)

Please ensure that you have read the process mapping document Energy Analysis (PM) before proceeding with this exchange requirement.

The scope of this exchange requirement is the exchange of information about spaces with associated energy information and about proposed energy analysis zones. The purpose of the exchange requirement is to support the coordination of energy analysis requirements with general zoning and spacing requirements.

The exchange requirement assumes that a building model is available from which relevant information required for energy analysis can be derived. It is anticipated that the building model will provide context information about the project including units to be used, coordinate systems to be adopted and the direction of true north.

The building model provides specific information about:

• the building, its location, composition, overall shape and orientation
• information about the shape and location of adjacent buildings may also be provided to enable shading effects to be determined
• building storeys within the building
• spaces within the building including their identification by type, name and function with type data being obtained from a project space type library (which is in turn derived from a general space type library). NOTE: All spaces within a building must be explicitly defined within the building information model. It is not sufficient within a building information model to assume that a void between two defined spaces will be understood as a space by default. This will not occur and the consequence will be that analyses about spaces will be incomplete. It is a common fault that corridors are not included properly within a building information model through their not having been explicitly defined as spaces.
• building elements used and their construction type with type data being obtained from a project constructions type library (which is in turn derived from a general constructions type library).

Information that is provided by this exchange requirement to enhance the set of information available for the project includes

• where space type data does not already exist, it can be defined and space types assigned to individual space occurrences
• where construction type data does not already exist, it can be defined and construction types assigned to individual building elements
• space boundaries that define the relation between spaces and building elements and the geometry that describes the space boundary connection
• where it is available, this exchange requirement also captures information about technical systems and their locations for use within energy analysis.

Information Requirements

Results