Question-and-Answer Resource for the Building Energy Modeling Community
 | 1 | initial version |
For open areas that you want to enclose, for the purpose of defining a thermal zone, OpenStudio has a Construction called an "Air Wall" which is exactly what it sounds like. It will enclose the zone for the purpose of volume calculations without introducing thermal resistance or thermal mass. The workflow for this is the same as drawing any other wall (it will appear tan in Sketchup like the rest). Once the wall is drawn, you change the Construction to Air Wall (in Sketchup the surface should become clear or translucent).
For this particular application (an open garage), you should first think about whether or not you actually need to make the space into a thermal zone. If there is no conditioning taking place, and you aren't introducing any internal heat gains, it probably doesn't need to be a zone.
| | 2 | No.2 Revision |
For open areas that you want to enclose, for the purpose of defining a thermal zone, OpenStudio has a Construction called an "Air Wall" which is exactly what it sounds like. It will enclose the zone for the purpose of volume calculations without introducing thermal resistance or thermal mass. The workflow for this is the same as drawing any other wall (it will appear tan in Sketchup like the rest). Once the wall is drawn, you change the Construction to Air Wall (in Sketchup the surface should become clear or translucent).
For this particular application (an open garage), you should first think about whether or not you actually need to make the space into a thermal zone. If there is no conditioning taking place, and you aren't introducing any internal heat gains, it probably doesn't need to be a zone.
Columns are not needed. They should have no bearing on the results of running your energy model (other than possible causing warnings/errors). It appears that they are currently rendered as wall...I'd be interested to know how the model is interpreting them currently.
If you are not conditioning (including ventilation and exhaust) your garage, if it has no internal gains, and it is assumed that be at outdoor air temperature (i.e. would not serve as an insulating layer to an adjacent space), I would not give it a thermal zone.
I would say the same for the basement unless adds mass or insulation to the walls of adjacent thermal zones.
