Create a graphical representation of your building by entering one or more blocks to your building. "Blocks" may be combined to define the general footprint and shape of a building. The Energy Asset Scoring Tool is designed to permit modeling a building with multiple blocks that represent building parts with distinctly different energy assets or physical configurations.
Block Guidelines for Asset Score Buildings
It is recommended to use simplified geometry and to minimize the number of blocks entered. Most buildings can and should be considered as one block, however, if more are needed, the building model should be limited to 10 blocks or fewer. Create additional blocks if any of the following situations apply:
- The building is a mixed-use building.Each block can have only one occupancy type (office, library, education, or retail). Create an additional block for each unique use type. The general guideline is to create a unique block for a use type only when the area of the use type is >10% of the GFA of the TSPR building being analyzed, or >2,000 ft2 (whichever is smaller). For example:
- For a 50,000 ft2 building with 44,000 ft2 of office space, and 6,000 ft2 of retail space, create 2 separate blocks since the retail space is retail is 12% of the GFA.
- For a 50,000 ft2 building with 48,500 ft2 of office space, and 1,200 ft2 of retail space, 2 separate blocks are not required since the retail space is 3% of the GFA and is less than 2,000 ft2. The retail portion may be analyzed as Office (unless one of the exceptions listed below applies).
- The portion of the building is served by different HVAC systems. Each block can be served by only one type of HVAC system (DOAS systems can be added as ventilation systems along with a primary heating and cooling system to each block; see DOAS systems for details). Therefore, a single block shall be created for each unique HVAC system and use type combination. Multiple HVAC units of the same type may be represented in one block. Guidance for entering efficiencies for multiple HVAC systems is provided in the Plants, Air Handler and Zone Equipment sections.
- The building footprint cannot be simplified by the available basic footprint shapes: rectangle, L shape, H shape, U shape or T shape (see block inputs for details).
- The building has areas with different numbers of floors (e.g., one portion of the building is 3 stories and another portion is 10 stories), or floor heights. Each block can have a single definition of floor-to-floor or floor-to-ceiling height. Where floor heights differ by more than two feet, unique blocks should be created for the floors with varying heights.
- The building has both above grade and below grade floors. Each block can include either above grade or below grade floors. For buildings with both above grade and below grade floors, separate blocks should be created for each. For buildings with floors partially above grade and partially below grade, if the total wall area of the floor(s) in consideration is greater than or equal to 50 percent above grade, then it should be simulated as a completely above grade block, otherwise it should be simulated as a below grade block.
- The building has sections with different operating schedules (e.g., one portion of the building has 24-hour occupancy, while another has an 8-hour occupancy).
For a building model with multiple blocks, the blocks should be configured together to have the same adjacency as the actual building design.
Create a New Block
- Select the Add (plus) icon from the left-hand sidebar.
- Assign a name to your block.
- Enter geometry and footprint dimensions (see block inputs for details).
- Click the Create Block button to save your entry.
An iconic representation of the building block will be displayed on the Building Project screen.
Edit an existing block
- Select the blue Edit link under the Block name of the block you wish to edit, as displayed on the left-hand sidebar.
- Click the Update Block button to save your changes.
- Remove a Block by selecting the yellow trash can icon.