Shading effect in walls gains without windows

Hi Jose,

Are you referring to the tick-box as below?

If so then please note that you must define the external buildings in the Shadows function in Design Database - have you done so? Please see extract from the Hevacomp manual below (press F1 in Hevacomp to access this).

If you opt to include external shading, the calculation will check if each window is shaded by external obstructions at each hour of the day.  Shaded windows will receive diffuse solar radiation only.  Use the Shadows module to set up external buildings.

Hello Shane,

Yes I did what you said in your email. I created another building which produce shade in my studied building. So when the wall has windows, the Heat Gains are modified, but when the wall does not has windows, the Heat Gains are the same, and in my opinion, there should be a change because you have a shaded wall, even without the window. Does the software take this into account when you do not have windows on the wall?

Thanks in advance!

Jose

Hi Jose,

The reduction in heat gains you are seeing when there is a window present is that due to the direct component of solar radiation being blocked by the adjacent building.

In the case of walls only there is no direct component, only diffuse, so the shading does not affect this.

I hope this helps to clarify.

Thanks for the response Shane.

I think that even without windows on the wall, the results should be different if the wall is shaded or not shaded because of the solar radiation effect on the wall, but at least in my model the results are the same. Could you please check this? Does Hevacomp make any difference for a shaded or not shaded wall without windows?

Regards,
Jose

Hi Jose,

I can confirm that the same results are to be expected. Wall shading is not considered in Design Database, only window shading.

Regards,
Shane