[Bldg-sim] Fwd: Space Boundary Tool (SBT-1) from LBNL

[Jason Glazer]

*New tool t**hat**transforms **o**riginal CAD building 
geometry **for import in EnergyPlus*
LBNL released the Space Boundary Tool, version 1 (SBT-1) 
which transforms building geometry created in 
IFC2x3-compatible CAD software into geometry input for 
simulation with EnergyPlus.  SBT imports building geometry 
in IFC format generated by model-based tools (such as Revit 
or ArchiCAD), transforms imported geometry into content, 
form and format (IDF) importable by EnergyPlus, defines 
thermal properties of construction materials specified as 
composite constructions in CAD, and sets up basic run 
control parameters for simulation with EnergyPlus.  The IDF 
file exported by SBT-1 can be directly imported into 
EnergyPlus to immediately run the simulation of building 
geometry, or can be appended with EnergyPlus definitions of 
internal loads and HVAC data for the simulated building, as 
well as with specifications of simulation output reports.

As EnergyPlus can accept only flat surface geometry, SBT-1 
does not accept and import definitions of curved objects and 
surfaces defined in CAD.  Such objects and surfaces must be 
segmented into series of flat objects and surfaces in CAD, 
and exported as such in IFC2x3 format for import into 
SBT-1.  The IFC2x3 file exported by CAD must be "clean:" It 
must contain the complete building geometry that is free of 
error.  If there are problems with the SBT-1 output or the 
resulting EnergyPlus simulation, the correctness of the 
IFC2x3 file can be verified with commercially available 
Solibri Model Checker using the SBT constraint set 
downloadable from the SBT-1 download site.

The download of the SBT-1 executable file and the current 
supporting information is available free of charge at 
gaia.lbl.gov/interoperability/SBT.  SBT-1 source code will 
be available shortly under an Open Source license.  For 
questions contact sbt-support at lbl.gov.
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Thank you!

-- Vlado Bazjanac, LBNL

Dr. Vladimir Bazjanac
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
University of California