Start-up Options
• Two primary choices
• Simulate a new or
pre-existing
building model
• Multiple pages of
inputs
• Create a weather
file for the SkyCalc
skylighting
spreadsheet
• One page of
inputs
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Generating weather files for SkyCalc3
• SkyCalc3 available to
download at
www.energydesignresources.com
www.h-m-g.com
• Select climate file,
energy code, and roof
U-factor to generate a
SkyCalc Weather file
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Generating weather files for SkyCalc3
• Building Location – Coverage
Select the weather file set.
There are three choices for this input:
• "California/Title24" limits the weather file
choices to the sixteen California climate zones
• "All eQUEST Locations“ provides U.S.-wide
weather file choices
• "User Selected" allows the user to browse
his/her machine/network for any standard
DOE-2 weather file
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Generating weather files for SkyCalc3
• Building Location – Region/City
Select the weather region and city.
• Region lists the sixteen California climate
zones or the 50 U.S. states, plus Canada, the
Pacific Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands :
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Generating weather files for SkyCalc3
• Energy Code
Select the Compliance code for the location .
• 2005 California Title24 - provides climate zone
choices of sixteen California climate zones.
• ASHRAE 90.1-2004 - provides climate zone
choices of eight ASHRAE 90.1 climate zones
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Generating weather files for SkyCalc3
• Climate Zone
Select the Climate zone for the energy code. This
input is used to calculate the default roof Ufactor.
• The default selection for the California Title-24
energy code is based on the Region selected by
the user and the default ASHRAE climate zone
is selected based on a mapping of city (selected
by the user) to HDD and CDD values
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Generating weather files for SkyCalc3
• Roof Type
Select the type of roof. Displayed only if Energy
Code = “ASHRAE 90.1-2004”.
• Choose from one of the three roof types, or
specify a custom U-factor
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Generating weather files for SkyCalc3
• Roof U-factor
Input the roof U-factor.
• A default U-factor is provided based on
previous inputs. User may change the Roof Ufactor here.
• The maximum allowed U-factor as per the
selected energy code, climate zone and roof
type, is reported on the side for reference.
• Note: Roof U-factor can also be changed in
SkyCalc, however choosing the correct U-factor
at the creation of the weather file will ensure
more accuracy.
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