Introducing: quickSAP
The Home Energy Modelling plugin for Sketchup
As we highlighted in our last Newsletter, February saw the launch of quickSAP, the new Home Energy Modelling plugin for Sketchup that has been created by BWP Architects and is designed for architects and designers to run energy use calculations directly in Sketchup using minimal data and basic 3D design models. It is ideal for early testing of design ideas and energy efficiency parameters while also producing detailed results that can be used to prepare Energy Efficiency Reports for outline design and planning stages without the need for additional consultants involved.
Leigh Brooks, the Director at BWP Architects responsible for the creation of quickSAP, explained that having been a user of Sketchup for over 15 years he had spent a long time looking for his Holy Grail of SketchUp; a way of interrogating early outline sketch models in a quick and simple way to test design choices to see the potential impact of these on carbon emissions and energy efficiency. Having come across various solutions to this over the years but all are too expensive, require huge amounts of complex data input and information, are too focussed on minutia and obtaining a definitive answer and seem to be written by environmental scientists rather than tailored to architects and designers looking for responsive feedback with a way of making on-the-fly changes and getting instant comparative results at the early stages of a design.
In the end, Leigh decided that the only solution was to create his own plugin and quickSAP is the result.
The quickSAP set of tools allows designers to build simple 3D models without worrying about wall thicknesses, internal partitions, window reveals etc. All can be drawn on a single layer as quickSAP includes built-in tools to automate the allocation of walls, windows, roofs, floors to the right faces and the allocation of thermal bridges to the right edges. Once the model is built, a simple set of pull down menus allows the designer to enter u-value options, air-tightness design values, the amount of PV and a number of other design choices as well as selecting from a library of psi values for thermal bridges.
nd that’s it in a nutshell. With the model ready and the values chosen then a click of the quickSAP button produces a full set of detailed energy use calculations including CO2 emissions, fabric and ventilation heat losses, solar gains, internal gains, PV generation, heating and hot water useage etc. The results also give indicative SAP and EPC results as well as having the option to compare the designs again the Part L Notional Dwelling results so you can see the CO2 emissions reduction over the Target Emission Rate – something many local planning authorities are asking for these days at the application submission stage. As well as the headline results, expandable tabs give detailed monthly breakdowns of all the different elements and criteria.
If you’re not getting results as energy efficient as you want, you simply go back to the deign choices menu and make some changes (for instance you might switch to triple glazing for some windows, reduce the air-tightness limit or increase the PV battery size). Save the changes and hit the quickSAP calculation button again and instantly get your new results.
The reports can be printed to .pdf directly from Sketchup and thereis also an option to export the data parameters as a .csv file for passing to your SAP assessors to make their life easier (and to ensure that they use the right opening sizes, thermal bridge lengths, u-values etc. that you want them to rather than measuring of printed plans!).
No more waiting for third party SAP assessors to make changes and report back (and charge you or your client). You can test your design ideas and changes instantly with quickSAP.
The calculations are currently based on the requirements of SAP 10.2 and updates are being prepared ready for the new changes coming in later this year.
Head over to www.bwparchitects.com/quickSAP to see read more details, see a video demonstration and find details on how to download a free 14 day trial.
Tools like quickSAP reflect the growing focus on intelligent, performance-led design increasingly featured across editorial platforms such as Architecture Vogue Magazine & Luxury Property Magazine.
