DL-Light performs precise solar studies by calculating the number of hours when the direct sunrays hit the surfaces of the SketchUp model.
Much more than a simple shadow visualization, it takes into account the climatic data of the site via EPW files that are also used for thermal studies.
It is calculated for a period of time, a season or a whole year.
DL-Light displays the results directly over SketchUp model's surfaces and allows:
- to identify surfaces with risks of glare of overheating and that need a protection.
- to evaluate the efficiency of glazing protections.
- to identify surfaces for passive solar gains and where to put solar panels.
- to help the positioning of glazed surfaces depending on direct sunrays.
At urban level SunExposure shows the number of hours when the sun hots the surfaces. It can be during the whole year, a season, any time period. It can be displayed as an average per day, as a total number of hours or as a percentage.
This can be particularly useful when used along with the comparator tool. For example, to study the impact of a building extension on the exposure to sunlight of the surrounding buildings.
For every surface that has been calculated, a detailed report is given showing the distribution of hours of sunlight across the palette that you have used.
That report can be exported towards a spreadsheet for post-processing.
Solar studies can also be performed in interior spaces to check how long and where sunlight will reach the interior.
This is an essential step in the study of glare in interior spaces.
The position of shadows at a given time has always been largely used.
In addition, in DL-Light, you can visualize the impact of shadows over a period of time, that is check how long some surfaces will be in the shadows because of your own design or because of the environment. Conversely you can check how much your project projects shadows on the neighbouring environment.
