The following screenshots describe the base functionality of the prototype GreenScale Tool (GST)using one of our building models used for development, testing, and validation

The screenshots are meant to demonstrate basic functionality.

Please also see publications about the development of the tool, the analytical models developed to achieve the GS method, case studies conducted using the GST, testing and validation methods used, and on-going development of the GST to support the NSF RSB project

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The GreenScale Tool is an operational prototype plug-in for RevIT. When installed on a local machine, it can be found by navigating to the Add-Ins menu

Once you have created a complete building envelope, even in the earliest stages of design, you can use the GST to understandand compare related aspects of thermal performance and material embodied energy, based upon your design decisions thus far

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For example, let's take a closer look at the wall assembly we have designed and how it impacts both thermal performance and material embodied energy for the structure

To do this, right click on a wall and select All Instances -- In Entire Project

Next, launch the GST

where you will be prompted to enter a location for your building (only once in a project/ analysis)

The GST uses DOE/Energy Plus Typical Meteorological Year TMY3 weather data. Over 1000 locations can be sourced and specified

You may then proceed to evaluate the assembly, as designed, or select an alternate method to compare in your analysis

For this demonstration, we will select one of RevIt's standard wall assemblies :

"Generic 6"

And we will select BOTH the analytical models for this analysis:

Embodied Energy & Thermal Model

Then, select "CALCULATE"

The GST Thermal Model (TM) commences the analysis by identifying and processing each surface of the model

The Thermal Model (TM) used by the GST is a python implementation of BEAM (enhanced thermal model developed by the GreenScale Team for the GST).

Geometry data is loaded into the tool from a standardized gbXML format and it runs the energy simulations by dividing the building into individual spaces, then surfaces, then into single materials calculating three heat transfer forms including conduction, convection, and radiation. The model does not include Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and/or other system influences.

The tool can be set to run for varying convection coefficients, shadow components, and ranges of the calendar year per hour. Thermal model output currently breaks the data down into MWatts used per month (heatflux) and for the total year.

The code of the TM has been validated against EnergyPlus calculations using baseline models. These models have been verified against several locations (for varying latitude and longitudes) around the United States. For the modules constructing the thermal model section of the python code, unit tests were implemented as a secondary verification against the EnergyPlus model.

Once the GST has completed both analyses, you can view the results in excel or in descriptive charts generated by the GST to facilitate comparison of design choices

The standard gbXML file is the primary input for the Embodied Energy (EE) modeling simulation. The process of the calculation is to divide up the model into spaces, then surface assemblies, then finally into each individual material. Embodied Energy is calculated for each material by multiplying (material EE * volume * material density). Finally, an EE summation for each assembly is tracked and added to until a building total EE is found.

For each one of these building materials, the database is accessed and additional data is retrieved to complete the calculations.

Unit tests are used to verify the EE model code and compare to manual calculations of each test model. Manually calculations of the same test models were completed using a similar process as the code itself, including the material property values from the gbXML and EE values from the database file. Data validation has been completed for the materials in the Green Scale database with sourcing tags for each value in that file; further materials are in the process of being added to the database and sourced as they are used in architectural models.

In the GST charts, you are able to see the EE total for the modeled assembly as compared to the selected alternate assembly, in this case Generic 6"

You are also able to see the results of the TM for building with the modeled assembly compared as compared to the selected alternate

Viewing these comparisons, side-by-side, allows the user to simultaneously WEIGH the impact of their design decisions on embodied energy AND thermal performance

You can also compare the EE of the assembly, as designed/ modeled, to the selected alternate AND several other alternate assemblies, expressed in gray, as seen on the Embodied Energy - Compare All bar graph on the far right.

In this chart, the dark blue bar represents the modeled assembly, the light blue bar (see cursor) represents the alternate assembly (6" generic) and the gray bars each represent another assembly in the GS material database.

Using your cursor, you can hover over one of the gray bars to identify the material assembly EE that is being described

In this case, EIFS on metal Stud

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In addition to the EE comparisons and average annual energy use expressed by the TM

The TM also expresses anticipated performance for the modeled assembly and the selected alternate across the 12 months of the year, as expressed in the bar graph to the far right.

It is also possible to drill down in the results of the EE comparison to understand the contributions of each material analyzed in the modeled assembly and the selected alternate assembly, as seen in the EE Drilldown Chart on the lower left

The EE Drilldown Chart can be sorted according to several helpful categories to assist the user in understanding the data and using it to compare and make design choices:

1. % of total EE by material

2. % of each material, by volume, in the assembly

3. By confidence interval, which expresses confidence / reliability of the data used by the analytical model, according to the data source

In the event that an assembly designed in RevIt does not provide a clean export file (gbxml) to the GST or there is a material(s) missing from the GS Materials Database (GSMB) that is included in the RevIt model, the GST will notify the user that the "call" for that material from the GSMB has failed.

The user will be prompted by the GST to open the Excel results files.

In the Excel results, the GST groups any missing materials and presents that information to the user in a section of the report called Missing Materials Data

When a model contains a material that is not yet defined in the GreenScale Materials Database (GSMD)

The user can launch the GSMD at db.greenscale.org/gsws

Create a new material and populate all required properties for that material

The database automatically updates and the user can return to the GST to re-run the analysis now that the missing material has been entered into the GSMD

The GSMD is currently a prototype database and membership to the database requires log in credentials

In the future, the GST will tether data from the larger semantic web, which is part of the on-going development of the GS Tool, Data Methods & Frameworks