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energy MoDeling 357

exporting to gbXML
Before you can export the model to gbXML and run your energy analysis, you need to create
several settings so you can export the proper information. The order in which these options are
set isn’t important, but it is important to check that they are set before exporting to gbXML. If
the information within the model is not properly created, the results of the energy analysis will
be incorrect.

project Location
As we mentioned earlier in this chapter, the physical location of the project on the globe is an
important factor in energy use analysis. You can give your building a location in a couple of
ways. One is to choose the Manage tab and click the Location button. Another way to get to this
same dialog box is through the Graphic Display Options dialog box you used for sunshading
earlier in this chapter.

Building envelope
Although this might seem obvious in concept, you cannot run an accurate energy
analysis on a building without walls. Although the specific wall or roof composition won’t be
taken into account, each room needs to be bound by a wall, floor, or roof. These elements are
critical in creating the gbXML file and defining the spaces or rooms within the building.
These spaces can in turn be defined as different activity zones in the energy analysis
application. Before you export, verify that you have a building envelope free of unwanted
openings. This means all your walls meet floors and roofs and there are no “holes” in the
building (Figure 9.44).

Figure 9.44
Make sure your
building envelope is
fully enclosed.

rooms and Volumes
When you export to a gbXML file, you are actually exporting the room volumes because
they are constrained by the building geometry. This is what will define the zones within the

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