New feature complements Sefaira’s existing daylighting and real-time energy analysis capabilities.
Sefaira has added Direct Sunlight Analysis to complement the existing daylighting and real-time energy analysis capabilities of its building performance-based design software.
Direct sunlight analysis allows building designers to understand where and for how many hours a space receives direct sunlight. This analysis is required for code compliance in different parts of the world, including Australia’s SEPP 65 requirement, the UK’s BRE Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight, and the B3 code in Minnesota in the US.
Apart from code compliance, direct sunlight analysis is used by many building designers for passive solar and shading device design.
According to Seafaira, Australian customers can see huge time saving potential from the new analysis capability. SEPP 65, an environmental planning policy addressing apartment design in Australia, requires good daylight in residential living spaces (measured as a minimum number of hours of direct sunlight).
With Sefaira, architects can now generate a full compliance report on SEPP 65 sunlight requirements in one click from their Trimble SketchUp or Autodesk Revit model.
“Being able to rapidly visualise and accurately quantify the actual solar access to living, working and public spaces during the design process is a very powerful tool to help improve the amenity and liveability of our cities,” he explained. “By using Sefaira, we can speed up the design/test/design process – we can understand solar access from the very start of design and rapidly iterate to create fabulous apartments and fantastic places for people,” says Matthew Blair, Principal at BVN, one of Australia’s largest architectural practices.
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