Question about opened surfaces (garage) [closed]

Hello everyone, how's everybody? So I'm doing the simulation in a clinic and I have a question:

the clinic has two floors and at the bottom, has a garage. This garage is open on the sides and I do not know if I create a thermal zone for it or leave it empty.

I will attach some photos with floor plans and geometry model in sketchup to try to explain my situation

https://imgur.com/y28MaEf: first floor

https://imgur.com/AN4A3V7: second floor

https://imgur.com/DcqRag3: separated surfaces in Sketchup

https://imgur.com/cWeot8S: united surfaces in Sketchup

Thanks!

UilissonGFM

asked 2018-10-23 13:28:14 -0500

11.8k

shorowit

updated 2018-10-23 22:14:16 -0500

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Closed for the following reason "the question is answered, right answer was accepted" by UilissonGFM 2018-10-31 11:58:18 -0500

Comments

What are the elements that look like piers/columns? I'm not sure how they were drawn in your model, but I don't think you'll want to include them in your energy model. Are these defining (in reality, supporting) the open garage area?

jbatt (2018-10-23 19:34:02 -0500) edit

So, in the area with this columns is the open garage area. About columns, they arent needed in the simulation?

In the same place (garage area), i got more two questions: 1) I dont know if i need to put a Energy zone for simulation in the garage area 2) Next to the garage, I have a zone without any influence, that is the basement of the building, havent thermal load or something. About It, i Will use or not it in the simulation?

UilissonGFM (2018-10-23 19:47:55 -0500) edit

I updated my original answer to try and address these...I believe I understood what you are asking.

jbatt (2018-10-24 15:14:36 -0500) edit

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For open areas that you want to enclose, for the purpose of defining a thermal zone, OpenStudio has a Construction called an "Air Wall" which is exactly what it sounds like. It will enclose the zone for the purpose of volume calculations without introducing thermal resistance or thermal mass. The workflow for this is the same as drawing any other wall (it will appear tan in Sketchup like the rest). Once the wall is drawn, you change the Construction to Air Wall (in Sketchup the surface should become clear or translucent).

For this particular application (an open garage), you should first think about whether or not you actually need to make the space into a thermal zone. If there is no conditioning taking place, and you aren't introducing any internal heat gains, it probably doesn't need to be a zone.

Columns are not needed. They should have no bearing on the results of running your energy model (other than possible causing warnings/errors). It appears that they are currently rendered as wall...I'd be interested to know how the model is interpreting them currently.

If you are not conditioning (including ventilation and exhaust) your garage, if it has no internal gains, and it is assumed that be at outdoor air temperature (i.e. would not serve as an insulating layer to an adjacent space), I would not give it a thermal zone.
I would say the same for the basement unless adds mass or insulation to the walls of adjacent thermal zones.