Overview of L2 (2013-2014) ApacheSim interface features

 

L2 (2013-2014) ApacheSim constitutes one of the Regulatory Frameworks covered by the VE Compliance view of the Virtual Environment. A brief summary of its features follows.

 

The VE Compliance view covers the following Regulatory Frameworks, which may be selected using the Regulatory Framework (Regs) selector on the VE Compliance toolbar:

·       Part L2 (2010) – England/Wales

·       Part F (2012) – N Ireland

·       Section 6 (2013) – Scotland

·       Part L1 (SAP 9.80) – England/Wales

·       Part L2 (2013) – England

·       Part L2 (2014) – Wales

·       UK Dwellings

 

This Guide covers the first two methods above, in conjunction with selecting Part L2 (2013-2014) from the Regulatory Framework (Regs) selector on the toolbar.

 

The different Regulations all share core features of the VE Compliance view, such as the model workspace, the browsers, the menus and the toolbars. For a description of these please consult the VE Compliance View Section of this Help Site.

 

For the L2 (2013-2014) ApacheSim regulatory framework a selector labelled ‘Bldg’ appears at the right-hand side of the VE Compliance toolbar. This allows you to switch between displaying the actual building, the notional building and (for EPC analysis) the reference building.

 

In most respects the actual building is the same as the ‘real’ building used in other VE views and Regulatory Frameworks.  However, there are differences in the Space Data, where for L2 (2013-2014) certain attributes assigned to the ‘real’ building are overridden by attributes representing the standard internal conditions stipulated for L2 (2013-2014) in the NCM methodology.

 

The notional and reference buildings differ (in different ways) from the actual building in the following areas, in accordance with the rules set out in the NCM Modelling Guide:

·       Glazing (and in some cases door) areas are adjusted.

·       Standard constructions are applied.

·       Where there are unheated buffer spaces (including unheated roofs) in the actual building, the notional building treats these as heat loss paths for adjacent heated rooms (following the principles laid         down in BS EN ISO 13789:1999^[2]). For these adjacencies standard constructions are applied, replacing the heat loss paths (including the unheated spaces) in the actual building.

·       Apache Systems are assigned to rooms depending on the type of conditioning assigned to the rooms in the actual building.

 

By selecting ‘Notional’ or ‘Reference’ on the building selector, you can view the notional or reference building and interrogate its features. However, no editing is permitted. The notional and reference buildings are created automatically from the actual building and cannot be modified.

 

Trial simulations may be performed on the notional or reference building using the button labelled ‘CO2 emissions: test run (notional building)’  or  ‘CO2 emissions: test run (reference building)’.

 

HVAC and hot water systems are most commonly defined using the Apache System methodology, but ApacheHVAC systems may also be used.

Data relating to individual rooms is entered via the Space Data tabs for the actual building. General Building Regulations data, such as the room ‘activity’, is specified on the Building Regulations tab.

 

Other tabs specify data for heating, cooling, gains and ventilation, some of which is forced to standard NCM Template settings for the purposes of Part L2 (2013-2014).

 

This can also be done via Tabular Space Data;

 

 

Building regulations data relating to constructions (for instance, whether a window is classified as display glazing) is entered via fields labelled ‘Building Regulations’ within the construction data dialogs in CDB.

The Part L analysis and results dialog on the lower edge of the VE Compliance view is divided into two parts:

·       Part L2 (2013) – England - Analysis: facilities for specifying the Part L2 analysis to be performed

·       Results: facilities for viewing the results of the analysis

 

Note: this tab will be labelled “Part L2 (2014 ) – Wales – Analysis” when in Wales 2014 mode.

 

The contents of the first of these tabs depends on the room selection.

When at least one room is selected it displays editable data for the NCM activities assigned to the selected rooms.

When no room is selected it provides access to the Building & System Data dialog, which displays data at building or system level required by the BRUKL compliance and EPC generation modules, together with settings for simulation-based analysis.

In either case the tab also displays options for running compliance or EPC analyses.