Stage 1: Create Two Evaluator Nodes

*Please Note: I went to office hours on Friday and I got an error on Weather . By Location. Jayant and I were not able to figure out the problem. He told me that he will figure it out and sent a mass announcement. After much researching I still was not able to figure it out and my code did not complete the output due to the error. I did not hear back before the deadline and even when I redid it, the error still persisted. Thank you** Last updated 11:57pm on 05/18

Chuting and Jayant said it was okay to update my files and the notion based on the corrections they gave during OH and after Jayant double checked my code on his computer (pending).

New Evaluator Node 1: Potential Electricity From Solar

The intent of this first custom node is to:

Calculate the potential electricity from solar. I did this by:

Expanding the BuildingForm.SolarAnalysis custom node to figure out how much electricity could be generated from roof-mounted PV panels.
Selected normal vector z value > 0.5 so that the roof is selected for total insolation analysis
Kept the PV conversion efficiency rate, 0.2, as 20% is the industry standard and divided the number 3 to get a monthly value

The length of my time study is 3 months

New Evaluator Node 2: Energy Usage

The intent of this second custom node is to:

Calculated the total building’s energy usage. I made basic assumptions:

Average energy usage per square foot in high-rise buildings between the first and top floors of high rise buildings from 4.0 kWh/m2/month on the first floor to 5.6 kWh/m2/month on the top floor in hot and humid climate like Dubai
Created inputs for energy usage at the highest and lowest levels
Converted them from meters to feet
Multiplied each mass floor area by the energy usage and added them to get the total monthly energy consumption
Calculated the EUI by multiplying the total monthly energy consumption by 12 months = annual energy consumption / Gross Floor Area= EUI

New Evaluator Node 3: Solar Output and Energy Consumption Ratio

The intent of this third custom node is to:

Calculate the ratio of solar panels inputting vs the electricity consumption
potential electricity from solar / total energy usage, then I multiplied it by 100
We can see how much of the total energy usage is being self produced. This can give us an idea of how much energy the solar generates to meet the building’s energy needs. This can inform the need to install off-site solar panels and can be a pathway to decarbonize the building

Point to Ponder 1:

Yes, if I got my code to work,I believe that the two new evaluation metrics designed for Module 6 unveil a correlation between the input parameters and the output metrics. As the top height and base height increases, both the EUI and energy usage will proportionally increase. The potential electricity from solar will remain constant and the ratio will increase as the top height and base height increases. The positive correlation could help discover the best building form alternatives. By revealing the building energy usage amount and the potential electricity from solar, we can compare which combination can ensure that the solar panels are producing enough electricity to run the building. This can be a cost-effective method and be a positive marketing tool to attract tenants.

Point to Ponder 2:

Additional metrics that would have helped in better understanding which alternatives are truly better are wind, daylight potential, and construction costs. By taking into account wind exposure, we can ensure that even the tallest of buildings are structurally sound. Daylight potential has to do with building orientation and solar heat gain which can decrease costs. Construction costs can reveal real-world decision making and the trade-offs that come with it. By taking into account these metrics, we can give a more accurate recommendation to best serve building owners in their decision-making process.