Enter name and address of the building owner or occupant
Building Use
Type – Select ( Apartment or Villa ) from the drop down menu
Location – Select the city
Number of floors – Number of floors of an individual villa or duplex apartment (maximum 3 floors)
Floor to floor height – The height from the floor of room to its ceiling
Building shape
Select shape of the villa or apartment from the drop-down-menu; ( Rectangular, L-shape, T-shape or U-shape )
Building Orientation
The orientation of the villa or apartment can be defined by changing the degrees from the drop-down menu. The building can be oriented in any direction
X1 and Y1 – are the building dimensions on the basis of the selected building shape. Values can be changed to customize the dimensions
Floor Area
Auto calculated when the building dimensions are entered
The envelope (enclosure) of the building consists of roofs, walls and windows. The U-value (W/m2.K) of envelope means, the heat transmission through materials of walls and roofs. The lower U-value, the higher thermal resistance.
Wall Construction – the walls of a villa or apartment shields us from weather conditions. The thermal resistance of the wall depends on the layers of insulation material used or planned in construction. The drop down-menu should be used to change the wall construction type
Roof and Floor construction – The drop down-menu should be used to change the roof and floor construction type
Plaster – Plaster is the leveling layer that is applied prior the finishing material layer (last layer)
Finishing material – such as paint, stucco, stone, tiles … etc
Mortar bed – is an adhesive layer made of cement, sand, and water to fix the tiles. “Tiles glue fix” is used in some application
Water-proofing membrane (WRM) – is used to isolate the water and prevent it from penetration
Foam concrete – is a layer used for sloping screed to drain the water (as shown in the picture)
Reinforced concrete – is the structural member that holds the roof
Slab-on-Grade – is a situation where the space is located in the ground floor, such as a villa or apartment on ground floor.
Note: no basement on this situation
Floor above conditioned space – is a situation where the spaces is located in the upper floors above an apartment or a duplex floor
Floor above unconditioned space – is a situation where the spaces is located above a basement which is not air-conditioned
Percent of wall / Window wall ratio – the ratio of the window area to the total area of the wall
For example: The area of the wall shown below is 3.0m X 6.0m= 18.0 m2
The area of the window is 2.0m X 0.5m= 1.0 m2
So, the window/wall ratio is = [ Area of the window(s) / Area of the wall ] X 100 = 1/18 X 100 = 5.56%
Window area – Total area of window in sq. meter (m2) in all direction of the house
Glass type – Select the glazing type from the drop-down menu for the windows
Single pane – represents just a single layer of the glazing
Double pane – represents two layers of the glazing
Clear glazing – is highly transparent glazing in the visibility, it allows the daylight and the heat to be transmitted into the building
Low-Emissivity or “Low-E” – is a transparent and tented glazing, it allows daylight to transmit into the building and reflects remarkable solar heat
Reflective glazing – is highlight reflective glazing system that reflects the light and block the visibility. Furthermore, it reduces the heat transfer from and into the building
Overhang – provides with the shading which can reduce the direct solar radiation in the building
HVAC system – Heating Ventilation and Air-Conditioning system is the technical term for AC system that provides heating or cooling in the building either collectively or through individual system. An efficient HVAC system would improve air quality, thermal comfort, energy consumption and environmental benefits
Heating set point – the set point at which the heating system is adjusted in the household (lowest temperature)
Cooling set point – the set point at which the cooling system is adjusted in the household (highest temperature)
Residential system – is the central system which has ducts and diffusers concealed within the false ceiling or within the floor
Energy Efficiency Ratio – is the ratio of cooling capacity to the power used. The EER rating is labelled on the Air Condition system unit. The higher the value, the more energy saving from the device
How to get EER?
When you purchase any electronic device or system, a label similar to the label shown below from SASO will be attached to the device where EER is stated.
Also, you may use the table below to transfer the “Star Rating” to EER.