Every building must have at least one roof, wall and floor component, and every block must have these components assigned, even those that may have connecting interior surfaces. The tool will automatically identify interior surface construction. 

Every surface with a window must have a valid Window-to-Wall Ratio or the total Number of Windows assigned.  Window entries should include all vertical fenestration, including curtain walls and storefronts. For vertical glazing area, wall properties or window properties that differ by orientation, select ‘Edit Surfaces’ after assigning, to specify these properties by orientation.

Select the Construction icon from the toolbar to create or edit the assembly components that make up the building envelope. Include each different type of roof, wall, window and floor that is present in the building. Assign components to blocks and click on blocks to view and add additional inputs (such as window-to-wall ratio) as needed.

Roofs, walls and floors may be identified as ‘interior surfaces marking project boundaries’ by selecting the ‘Interior surface marking project boundary’ checkbox.  

See also:  TSPR Snapshot #5 - Building Envelope Considerations training video and additional videos and documentation at waenergycodes.com/online_training.

Create assembly components

1. Select and add envelope components, which are available from the left-hand sidebar on the Construction page, by selecting the ‘+’ (Add) icons.  
2. Enter a descriptive name (or use the default component text)
3. Specify the thermal properties 
4. Select the green ‘Create’ button to add the component

Assembly entries may be edited by selecting the blue "Edit" icon, and/or may be deleted by selecting the yellow "trash can" icon.

Note: All envelope component input fields are required for TSPR. A unit conversion calculator is available to help with entering U-Factor thermal property values.

Thermal property guidelines

Only one component type may be assigned to a block.   Follow the guidelines below for components that contain multiple thermal properties:

Roofs:  enter an area weighted U-factor

For TSPR, Roofs are modeled with insulation above a steel roof deck. The roof U-factor and area are modeled as in the proposed design and as specified by the user. If different roof thermal properties are present in a single block, an area weighted U-factor should be specified. Roof solar absorbance is modeled at 0.70 and emittance at 0.90.

Above Grade Walls:  enter an area weighted U-value

For TSPR, Walls are modeled as steel frame construction. The U-factor and area of above grade walls are modeled as in the proposed design and as specified by the user. If different wall constructions exist on the façade of a block an area-weighted U-factor should be specified.

Below Grade Walls:  enter an area weighted C-Factor

Slab on Grade Floors:  enter an area weighted F-Factor

Above Grade Exterior Floors:  enter an area weighted U-Value or F-Factor

For TSPR, exterior floors are modeled as steel frame. The U-factor and area of floors are modeled as in the proposed design and as specified by the user. If different exterior floor constructions exist in the block an area-weighted U-factor should be specified.

Basement Floors:   thermal property entry is not required.  Note:  Basement Floors may only be assigned to below grade blocks, and will be modeled as adiabatic.

Vertical fenestration: enter an area weighted U-factor and SHGC. 

For TSPR, the window area and area weighted U-factor and SHGC are modeled for each façade as in the proposed design and as specified by the user. TSPR tools combines all windows on a facade in to a single window centered on each façade based on the area and sill height input by the user.

Skylights: enter an area weighted U-factor and SHGC. 

For TSPR, the skylight area and area weighted U-factor and SHGC are modeled as in the proposed design and as specified by the user. Sky-lights are combined in a single skylight centered on the roof of each zone based on the area input by the user.

Assign components to building blocks

To assign components to blocks:

1. Select the component from the left sidebar by clicking and holding the mouse
2. Drag and drop (release the mouse click) onto a block
3. Repeat until all components have been assigned to blocks
4. Click on a block to view or edit assigned components,  specify a window-to-wall ratio or number of windows, a % roof area for skylights, or to mark interior surfaces as project boundaries as needed
5. To edit wall or window components on individual vertical surfaces, click on the ‘Edit Surfaces’ button on the bottom left corner of the screen and then on the vertical surface of a block

Note:   the tool automatically assigns components to appropriate surfaces (i.e. exterior roof construction is assigned to an exterior roof). Wall and roof components need to be assigned to all blocks, even those that may have connecting interior surfaces.  The tool will check for exposure to sun and automatically assign interior surface construction to surfaces not exposed to the sun.