Generating an analytical energy model

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a conceptual representation of a building including one or more user-defined floor levels and multiple surfaces defining geometrical volumetric spaces; and

responsive to a request to generate an analytical energy model, automatically generating, by one or more processors, the analytical energy model by:

deriving geometric information from the conceptual representation;

based on the geometric information, determining one or more mass volumes;

algorithmically assigning one or more surface types to mass volume surfaces based, at least in part, on surface type definitions a number of space adjacencies and the geometric information associated with a corresponding mass volume surface, the surface type definitions specifying a material construction of a corresponding surface type;

defining one or more thermal mass zones based on the determined one or more mass volumes and a corresponding number of user-defined floor levels;

deriving, using a model generator, thermal properties of the one or more thermal mass zones;

wherein the deriving is based one the geometrical volumetric spaces, the one or more surface types assigned to the mass volume surfaces, and corresponding material construction; and

combining the defined one or more thermal mass zones, the derived thermal properties, and predefined analytical energy model parameters to generate the analytical energy model.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein algorithmically assigning the one or more surface types comprises defining a glazed portion of an exterior surface based on a predefined glazing percentage.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein algorithmically assigning the one or more surface types comprises assigning a first surface type to a first portion of an exterior surface and assigning a second surface type to a second portion of the exterior surface.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, for assigned surface types, associating the material construction of the surface type with a corresponding portion of an exterior surface in the conceptual representation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more mass volumes comprises partitioning the one or more mass volumes into core mass volumes and perimeter mass volumes based on a specified distance between a perimeter of the core mass volume and a perimeter of a corresponding one of the one or more mass volumes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the conceptual representation of a building including one or more user-defined floor levels comprises receiving user input defining a mass form model of the building.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conceptual representation is a mass form model defined by the multiple surfaces, the mass form model including a geographic orientation of the building.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined analytical energy model parameters include default values and are sufficient to generate the analytical energy model in combination with the conceptual representation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a conceptual representation of a building includes receiving conceptual representations of multiple buildings, each including one or more user-defined floor levels and multiple surfaces defining geometrical volumetric spaces, and wherein automatically generating the analytical energy model comprises automatically generating an analytical energy model for each of the multiple buildings.

10. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a conceptual representation of a building including one or more user-defined floor levels and multiple surfaces defining geometrical volumetric spaces; and

responsive to a request to generate an analytical energy model, automatically generating the analytical energy model by:

deriving geometric information from the conceptual representation;

based on the geometric information, defining one or more mass volumes;

algorithmically assigning one or more surface types to mass volume surfaces based, at least in part, on surface type definitions, a number of space adjacencies and the geometric information, associated with a corresponding mass volume surface, the surface type definitions specifying a material construction of a corresponding surface type;

defining one or more thermal mass zones based on the determined one or more mass volumes and a corresponding number of user-defined floor levels;

deriving, using a model generator, thermal properties of the one or more thermal mass zones;

combining the defined one or more thermal mass zones, the derived thermal properties, and predefined analytical energy model parameters to generate the analytical energy model.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , wherein algorithmically assigning the one or more surface types comprises defining a glazed portion of an exterior surface based on a predefined glazing percentage.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , wherein algorithmically assigning the one or more surface types comprises assigning a first surface type to a first portion of an exterior surface and assigning a second surface type to a second portion of the exterior surface.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , the operations further comprising, for assigned surface types, associating the material construction of the surface type with a corresponding portion of an exterior surface in the conceptual representation.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , wherein determining the one or more mass volumes comprises partitioning the one or more mass volumes into core mass volumes and perimeter mass volumes based on a specified distance between a perimeter of the core mass volume and a perimeter of a corresponding one of the one or more mass volumes.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , wherein receiving the conceptual representation of a building including one or more user-defined floor levels comprises receiving user input defining a mass form model of the building.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the conceptual representation is a mass form model defined by the multiple surfaces, the mass form model including a geographic orientation of the building.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the predefined analytical energy model parameters include default values and are sufficient to generate the analytical energy model in combination with the conceptual representation.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 10 , wherein receiving a conceptual representation of a building includes receiving conceptual representations of multiple buildings, each including one or more user-defined floor levels and multiple surfaces defining geometrical volumetric spaces, and wherein automatically generating the analytical energy model comprises automatically generating an analytical energy model for each of the multiple buildings.

19. A system comprising:

one or more computers operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving a conceptual representation of a building including one or more user-defined floor levels and multiple surfaces defining geometrical volumetric spaces; and

responsive to a request to generate an analytical energy model, automatically generating the analytical energy model by:

deriving geometric information from the conceptual representation;

based on the geometric information, defining one or more mass volumes;

algorithmically assigning one or more surface types to mass volume surfaces based, at least in part, on surface type definitions, a number of space adjacencies and the geometric information, associated with a corresponding mass volume surface, the surface type definitions specifying a material construction of a corresponding surface type;

defining one or more thermal mass zones based on the determined one or more mass volumes and a corresponding number of user-defined floor levels;

deriving, using a model generator, thermal properties of the one or more thermal mass zones;

wherein the deriving is based on the geometrical columetric spaces, the one or more surface types assigned to the mass volume surfaces, and corresponding material construction; and

combining the defined one or more thermal mass zones, the derived thermal properties, and predefined analytical energy model parameters to generate the analytical energy model.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein algorithmically assigning the one or more surface types comprises defining a glazed portion of an exterior surface based on a predefined glazing percentage.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein algorithmically assigning the one or more surface types comprises assigning a first surface type to a first portion of an exterior surface and assigning a second surface type to a second portion of the exterior surface.

22. The system of claim 19 , the operations further comprising, for assigned surface types, associating the material construction of the surface type with a corresponding portion of an exterior surface in the conceptual representation.

23. The system of claim 19 , wherein determining the one or more mass volumes comprises partitioning the one or more mass volumes into core mass volumes and perimeter mass volumes based on a specified distance between a perimeter of the core mass volume and a perimeter of a corresponding one of the one or more mass volumes.

24. The system of claim 19 , wherein receiving the conceptual representation of a building including one or more user-defined floor levels comprises receiving user input defining a mass form model of the building.

25. The system of claim 19 , wherein the conceptual representation is a mass form model defined by the multiple surfaces, the mass form model including a geographic orientation of the building.

26. The system of claim 19 , wherein the predefined analytical energy model parameters include default values and are sufficient to generate the analytical energy model in combination with the conceptual representation.

27. The system of claim 19 , wherein receiving a conceptual representation of a building includes receiving conceptual representations of multiple buildings, each including one or more user-defined floor levels and multiple surfaces defining geometrical volumetric spaces, and wherein automatically generating the analytical energy model comprises automatically generating an analytical energy model for each of the multiple buildings.