Shading Analysis

[crawfords]

We've been attempting shading analyses with Ecotect where we need to know whether or not the windows on the west face of the building will be at least 50% shaded on a certain day of the year (the engineering load calcs are predicated on this number).

The shading devices are vert complex geometrically, and the numbers that Ecotect have been spitting out are inconsistent, to say the least. I've done a fair amount of whining to Autodesk & our reseller about this, and the answer I usually get is that Ecotect is meant to be a preliminary design tools for comparing different options, rather than a means of generating "hard" verification numbers.

With that lengthy exposition in mind, does anyone know of a decent analysis program that can perform this sort of verification for complex shading? I know DOE2 is capable of that, but the learning curve on that is incredibly steep.

Suggestions anyone? Thanks.

-Crawford

[fabian.posadas]

Take a look at OpenStudio the energyplus plugin for skecthup

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus/openstudio.cfm

[craines]

i'd say your resellers don't really know how to use ecotect if they are saying that, and they certainly don't know HOW it works... understandable really as ecotect makes very complex analysis look easy to do for almost anyone. although solar stuff does tend to be the more straight forward kind of analysis.
a simple shading calc for sun path diagram will work this out for your windows for anytime of the year. accuracy will depend on the settings you choose for running the calc. and the points (random or otherwise) sprayed over the geometry