Ultralight 1.0 Manual

Components for Designers

The Qubu Ultralight Designer edition Grasshopper plugin addresses two primary daylight issues: Direct Sunlight provisioning and indirect Daylight Factor. Each evaluation comprises the main Grasshopper component for the evaluation itself, along with supplementary components for assembling input data and breaking down output results.

Direct sunlight evaluation at a point

Direct Sunlight provisioning can be assessed at a free-standing point. The outcome of this evaluation is the duration of direct sunlight rays reaching the sensor point on the specified day. This duration is exclusively influenced by the positions and dimensions of obstacle objects that may cast a shadow at the sensor point.

Direct Sunlight at Point

Inputs

• Obstacle Geometry - Geometry that may obstruct direct sunlight from reaching the sensors.
  Supported types:
  - Mesh
  - Geometry convertible to Mesh - BRep, Surface, Box, closed Curve
  - Scene Geometry with opaque material (Non-Opaque geometry will be skipped)
  Do not include glazing geometry. Provide a flat list of geometry common to sensors across all data tree branches.
  Units: maters

• DS Sensor - Standalone sensor points for Direct Sunlight evaluation.

• North Vector - Vector indicating direction of the geographic North.

• Country Index - Index of the country where the evaluated project is located.
  0 = Austria
  1 = Belgium
  2 = Bulgaria
  3 = Croatia
  4 = Cyprus
  5 = Czech Republic
  6 = Denmark
  7 = Estonia
  8 = Finland
  9 = France
  10 = Germany
  11 = Greece
  12 = Hungary
  13 = Ireland
  14 = Iceland
  15 = Italy
  16 = Lithuania
  17 = Latvia
  18 = Luxembourg
  19 = Malta
  20 = Netherlands
  21 = North Macedonia
  22 = Norway
  23 = Poland
  24 = Portugal
  25 = Romania
  26 = Slovakia
  27 = Slovenia
  28 = Spain
  29 = Sweden
  30 = Switzerland
  31 = Turkey
  32 = United Kingdom

• Precision - Predefined parameters specifying the precision of the evaluation.
  0 = Low (fast)
  1 = Medium (norm default)
  2 = High (slow)

Outputs

• Sunlight hours - Duration of Direct Sunlight reaching the sensor points on the 21st of March (specified by the European norm EN 17037:2018+A1:2021).
  Units: hours

Direct sunlight evaluation for an apartment

The European norm EN 17037:2018+A1:2021 outlines guidelines for evaluating Direct Sunlight provision within an apartment and establishes thresholds for sufficiency levels. In essence, at least one habitable room in the residence should receive Direct Sunlight for a minimum of 1.5 hours on March 21st (refer to paragraph A.4). To meet this metric, the sensor data must be organized into rooms and apartments.

The Qubu Ultralight Designer edition simplifies the process of composing input data, requiring no specialized skills and minimal computational power.

Direct Sunlight

The main Direct Sunlight evaluation component.

Inputs

• Obstacle Geometry - Geometry that may obstruct direct sunlight from reaching the sensors.
  Supported types:
  - Mesh
  - Geometry convertible to Mesh - BRep, Surface, Box, closed Curve
  - Scene Geometry with opaque material (Non-Opaque geometry will be skipped)
  Do not include glazing geometry. Provide a flat list of geometry common to sensors across all data tree branches.
  Units: maters

• DS Apartment - Apartments containing Direct Sunlight sensors distributed into rooms and windows within the rooms.

• North Vector - Vector indicating direction of the geographic North.

• Country Index - Index of the country where the evaluated project is located.
  0 = Austria
  1 = Belgium
  2 = Bulgaria
  3 = Croatia
  4 = Cyprus
  5 = Czech Republic
  6 = Denmark
  7 = Estonia
  8 = Finland
  9 = France
  10 = Germany
  11 = Greece
  12 = Hungary
  13 = Ireland
  14 = Iceland
  15 = Italy
  16 = Lithuania
  17 = Latvia
  18 = Luxembourg
  19 = Malta
  20 = Netherlands
  21 = North Macedonia
  22 = Norway
  23 = Poland
  24 = Portugal
  25 = Romania
  26 = Slovakia
  27 = Slovenia
  28 = Spain
  29 = Sweden
  30 = Switzerland
  31 = Turkey
  32 = United Kingdom

• Precision - Predefined parameters specifying the precision of the evaluation.
  0 = Low (fast)
  1 = Medium (norm default)
  2 = High (slow)

Outputs

• DS Apartment Results - Results of Apartment evaluation for Direct Sunlight gains on the 21st of March (specified by the European norm EN 17037:2018+A1:2021). The results are a distinct datatype, that automatically casts into hours and can be broken down into more detailed results.

DS Room Sensors

A component that conveniently packs window sensors inputs belonging into a single room. This component can be optionally used with inputs organized into Grasshopper Data Trees.

Inputs

• Window Positions - Positions of sensors in space, where the Direct Sunlight gains will be evaluated. According to EN 17037+A1 (2022), "the assessment should be conducted... ...for each opening of the space, from a reference point (point P) located on the inner surface of the aperture. Point P is located at the centre of the opening width... ...The reference point is minimum 1.2 m above the floor and 0.3 m above the sill of the daylight opening, if present. If a daylight opening is without a sill, the reference point is located 1.2 m above the floor."
  Units: meters

• Window Normals - Window Normals (vectors perpendicular to windows), pointing outwards. The normals need to be projected to the ground plane (their Z component must be 0) because only vertical windows are supported.
  This list is parallel to the Window Positions list.

Outputs

• DS Room - Room for Direct Sunlight evaluation. This serves as an input to the DS Apartment Sensors component.

DS Apartment Sensors

A component that conveniently packs DS Room Sensor inputs belonging into a single apartment. This component can be optionally used with inputs organized into Grasshopper Data Trees.

Inputs

• DS Rooms - DS Rooms belonging into a single apartment for Direct Sunlight evaluation.OutputsDS Apartment - Room for Direct Sunlight evaluation. This serves as an input to the Direct Sunlight component.Daylight factor evaluation for a room

Outputs

• DS Apartment - Room for Direct Sunlight evaluation. This serves as an input to the Direct Sunlight component.

DS Apartment Results Breakdown

Breaks down the computed Direct Sunlight evaluation results per apartment.

Inputs

• DS Apartment Results - Results of the Direct Sunlight evaluations for apartment. This is a dedicated data type that can only be produced by the Direct Sunlight component. The type automatically casts to hours when converted into a number.

Outputs

• Hours - Duration of Direct Sunlight entering the apartment on the 21st of March (specified by the European norm EN 17037:2018+A1:2021).
  Units: hours.

• Satisfaction Level - Satisfaction Level of the amount of direct sunlight entering the apartment on the 21st of March. The EN 17037:2018+A1:2021 mandates a minimum cumulative exposure of 1.5 hours of direct sunlight from all windows within a room for it to be rated better than Insufficient. Each apartment must include at least one room meeting this criterion.

• DS Room Results - Direct Sunlight evaluation Results per room. This is a dedicated data type that can only be produced by the DS Apartment Results Breakdown component and is only accepted by the DS Room Results Breakdown component. The type automatically casts to hours when converted into a number.

DS Room Results Breakdown

Breaks down the computed Direct Sunlight evaluation results per room.

Inputs

• DS Room Results - Results of the Direct Sunlight evaluations for room.
  This is a dedicated data type that can only be produced by the DS Apartment Results Breakdown component.

Outputs

• Hours - Duration of Direct Sunlight entering the room on the 21st of March (specified by the European norm EN 17037:2018+A1:2021).
  Units: hours.

• Satisfaction Level - Satisfaction Level of the amount of direct sunlight entering the room on the 21st of March. The EN 17037:2018+A1:2021 mandates a minimum cumulative exposure of 1.5 hours of direct sunlight from all windows within a room for it to be rated better than Insufficient. Each apartment must include at least one room meeting this criterion.

• DS Window Results - Direct Sunlight evaluation Results per window. This is a dedicated data type that can only be produced by the DS Room Results Breakdown component and is only accepted by the DS Window Results Breakdown. The type automatically casts to hours when converted into a number.

DS Window Results Breakdown

Breaks down the computed Direct Sunlight evaluation results per window.

Inputs

• DS Window Results - Results of the Direct Sunlight evaluations for window.
  This is a dedicated data type that can only be produced by the DS Room Results Breakdown component.

Outputs

• Hours - Duration of Direct Sunlight entering the window on the 21st of March (specified by the European norm EN 17037:2018+A1:2021).
  Units: hours.

• Satisfaction Level - Satisfaction Level of the amount of direct sunlight entering the window on the 21st of March. The EN 17037:2018+A1:2021 mandates a minimum cumulative exposure of 1.5 hours of direct sunlight from all windows within a room for it to be rated better than Insufficient. Each apartment must include at least one room meeting this criterion.

Daylight Factor evaluation for a room

“Daylight Factor is a ratio of the illuminance at a point on a given plane due to the light received directly or indirectly from a sky of assumed or known luminance distribution, to the illuminance on a horizontal plane due to an unobstructed hemisphere of this sky, excluding the contribution of direct sunlight to both illuminances.” EN 17037:2018+A1:2021

As per paragraph A.2 of the EN 17037:2018+A1:2021, the Qubu Ultralight Designer edition ensures specific target illuminance levels are met:

1. A minimum of 300lx should be provided at 50% of the reference plane.

2. Simultaneously, a minimum of 100lx should be provided at 95% of the reference plane.

The reference plane, positioned 0.85m above the floor, follows the density and shape specifications outlined in paragraph B.2. of the EN 17037:2018+A1:2021.

Daylight Factor

The main component for the Daylight Factor computation.

Inputs

• Scene Geometry - Scene Geometry with Opaque or Glazing Material.
  Requires a dedicated data type containing obstacle geometry annotated with material properties. Such data can be produced exclusively by components Opaque Geometry and Glazing Geometry.
  Data trees are not supported. Provide a flat list of geometry common to rooms across all data tree branches.

• Room Boundaries - Planar closed Polylines representing room boundaries.
  A single room can be represented by multiple polylines - either as detached spaces or interruptions in plan, such as columns or obstacles.
  The boundary should be positioned at the room's floor level.
  When defining multiple rooms, make sure each room's boundaries are stored in a separate data tree branch.
  Units: meters

• Grid Orientations - A planar vector defining the grid orientation. This allows customizing the orientation of generated sensor grids per each branch of the Room Boundaries tree.
  Default north orientation is aligned with positive Y world axis = vector {0,1,0}.

• Country Index - Index of the country where the evaluated project is located.
  0 = Austria
  1 = Belgium
  2 = Bulgaria
  3 = Croatia
  4 = Cyprus
  5 = Czech Republic
  6 = Denmark
  7 = Estonia
  8 = Finland
  9 = France
  10 = Germany
  11 = Greece
  12 = Hungary
  13 = Ireland
  14 = Iceland
  15 = Italy
  16 = Lithuania
  17 = Latvia
  18 = Luxembourg
  19 = Malta
  20 = Netherlands
  21 = North Macedonia
  22 = Norway
  23 = Poland
  24 = Portugal
  25 = Romania
  26 = Slovakia
  27 = Slovenia
  28 = Spain
  29 = Sweden
  30 = Switzerland
  31 = Turkey
  32 = United Kingdom

• Precision - Predefined parameters specifying the precision of the evaluation.
  0 = Low (fast)
  1 = Medium (norm default)
  2 = High (slow)

Outputs

• Daylight Factor - Daylight Factor numerical values for room sensors.
  The sensors are computed automatically in accordance with the EN 17037:2018+A1:2021.

• Satisfaction Level - Satisfaction level per room according to the EN 17037:2018+A1:2021.
  These are:
  Insufficient = (M < 300lx, P < 100lx)
  Low = (M >= 300lx, P >= 100lx)
  Medium = (M >= 500lx, P >= 300lx)
  High = (M >= 750lx, P >= 300lx)
  where M is the median and P is the 5 percentile of the sensor values.

• Grid Cells - Rectangular areas where Daylight Factor values were calculated.
  The sensor grid cells are computed automatically in accordance with the EN 17037:2018+A1:2021.

Opaque Geometry [OGeo]

This component generates geometry for Daylight Factor calculation with opaque (non-transparent, Lambertian) material. The component seamlessly converts compatible geometry into a triangulated mesh automatically. For complete control over the mesh's level of detail, manual conversion is recommended. Provide a triangulated mesh that will not undergo any modifications during the process.

Inputs

• Mesh - Mesh geometry to be used as an opaque obstacle.
  Surfaces and BReps will be automatically converted into Mesh.
  Units: meters

• Reflectance - Reflectance coefficient [0.00 to 1.00]: 0.00 = black, 1.00 = white
  Recommended values from "Bošová, D. (2016). Denní OSVĚTLENÍ budov: TP 1.8.8. Pro Českou komoru autorizovaných inženýrů a techniků činných ve výstavbě vydává Informační centrum ČKAIT.":
  0.75 - 0.80 = White surface
  0.60 - 0.70 = Cream and beige surface
  0.60 - 0.70 = Light yellow surface
  0.50 - 0.60 = Dark yellow surface
  0.40 - 0.50 = Light red surface
  0.15 - 0.30 = Dark red surface
  0.45 - 0.65 = Light green surface
  0.05 - 0.20 = Dark green surface
  0.40 - 0.60 = Light blue surface
  0.05 - 0.20 = Dark blue surface
  0.12 - 0.25 = Brown surface
  0.40 - 0.60 = Light grey surface
  0.15 - 0.20 = Dark grey surface
  0.01 - 0.03 = Black surface
  0.25 = Red brick, Clay
  0.50 = Light sand
  0.80 - 0.92 = White gypsum
  0.55 - 0.80 = White marble
  0.40 - 0.50 = Granite
  0.30 - 0.50 = Light wood
  0.15 - 0.25 = Dark wood
  0.05 - 0.10 = Greenery, grass
  0.10 = Tarmac
  0.30 = Concrete tiles
  0.08 - 0.20 = Soil
  0.28 = Steel
  0.75 - 0.85 = Eloxed or polished aluminum
  0.80 - 0.90 = Glass mirror (reflected image)
  0.10 = Glass window (from outside)
  0.30 - 0.40 = Glass window with with hangings
  0.75 - 0.80 = Snow

Outputs

• Scene Geometry - Scene Geometry with a Opaque Material for Daylight Factor computation.

Glazing Geometry

This component generates geometry for Daylight Factor calculation with clear transparent material. The component seamlessly converts compatible geometry into a triangulated mesh automatically. For complete control over the mesh's level of detail, manual conversion is recommended. Provide a triangulated mesh that will not undergo any modifications during the process.

The Daylight Factor calculation process mandates that glazing geometry be single-layered, open, possess naked edges, and be oriented vertically. While the component does test and validate these conditions to some extent, it's important to note that not all instances of unsupported geometry can be detected and reported.

Inputs

• Mesh - Mesh geometry to be used as a transparent glazing.
  Vertical, open, single-plane Mesh geometry is expected.
  Surfaces and BReps will be automatically converted into Mesh.
  Units: meters

• Transparency - Transmittance (transparency) coefficient [0.00 to 1.00]: 0.00 = opaque, 1.00 = transparent
  Recommended values from "Bošová, D. (2016). Denní OSVĚTLENÍ budov: TP 1.8.8. Pro Českou komoru autorizovaných inženýrů a techniků činných ve výstavbě vydává Informační centrum ČKAIT.":
  0.92 = Clear single sheet glazing
  0.85 = Clear double sheet glazing
  0.78 = Clear triple sheet glazing
  0.85 - 0.90 = Sheet glazing with pattern
  0.35 - 0.7 = Dethermal glass
  0.55 - 0.65 = Reflective glass
  0.85 - 0.89 = Single-layer glass bricks
  0.50 - 0.75 = Sheer curtain

Outputs

• Scene Geometry - Scene Geometry with a Transparent Material for Daylight Factor computation.