Kahl Consultants Small business web services

1. INTRODUCTION

SolArch is a shareware design tool for architects. The European Commission Directorate General for Energy (DG XVII) supported this work as a THERMIE Programme action.

This version 1.0 is in English and has some content specific to the UK and Ireland.

Summer Solar Gain

This program is intended for professionals who are familiar with passive solar architecture. The audience group includes:

• architects / civil engineers
• construction industry / building designers
• government agencies / public sector
• technical press and media
• public utilities / energy supply industry
• professional and trade associations
• consultants
• university faculty and students

2. REQUIREMENTS

Important! To run this software you only need the following hardware and software:

MS-DOS 5.0 and higher 
Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11 or Windows 95 
A hard drive with at least 9 MB free space 
VGA 640 x 480 video standard (also runs in monochrome), 256 colors

IMPORTANT: 
for optimal performance set your display to 640 x 480 with 256 (or more) colors. 
When running the external programme ”Climatic Data Modification” a DOS installed mouse driver can cause problems - the mouse pointer may be ”frozen” in the SolArch programme. Quit the SolArch programme using ALT-F4 and deinstall the DOS mouse driver! 

3. INSTALLATION

The installation is very simple and takes only a few minutes:

Load Windows
click FILE 
click RUN 
enter A:\INSTALL 
(”A” depends on the name of the floppy disk drive) 
follow the instructions of the installation programme

4. START SOLARCH

Load Windows. Double click the SolArch Icon in the SolArch Programme Group.

5. TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
- Welcome
- Programme Objectives
- Help

THERMAL PERFORMANCE CALCULATION
- Thermal Performance
- Climatic Data Modification (UK/Ireland map with temperature zones)
- Tutorial
- Commands
- Irish U-Value Options
- 6B-Solar Procedure Outline
- 6B-Solar (Thermal Performance Calculation using 
basic data input - numerical, text, and graphical)
- Climate Data Modification

DESIGN CHECKLISTS
- Climate Checklists
- Macro Climate Checklist
- The Suns Path
- Trigonometric Formulas
- The Geometry of Shadows
- Geometrical Method
- Micro Climate Checklist - Winter
- Protection from Winter Winds
- Wind Shadow
- Wind Breaks
- Solar Gain in Winter
- Solar Access Boundary
- Micro Climate Conditions
- Micro Climate Checklist - Summer
- Exposure to Summer Breezes
- Solar Gain in Summer
- Thermal Comfort
- Psychrometric Diagram (Thermal Comfort Zone
- Psychrometric Diagram - Design Strategies
- Admisitrative Compliance / Constraints UK/IRL
- Main Requirements of Thermal Sections of 
UK Building Regulations
- Elemental Approach
- Calculation Procedure 1
- Calculation Procedure 2
- Main Requirements of Thermal Sections of 
IRL Building Regulations
- Elemental Heat Loss Method
- Overall Heat Loss Method
- Net Heat Loss Method
- Building Materials Data (Format and samples for various materials)
- Wall Structures
- Typical Wall Construction U-Values
- Roofing Structures
- Typical Roofing Construction U-Values
- Floor Structures
- Typical Floor Construction U-Values
- Thermal Properties
- Lambda and Mass Values
- Thermal Properties of Materials
- Surface and Airspace Resistance
- Radiative Properties of Materials
- Ecological Assessment
- Embodied Energy / Energy Content
- Energy Requirement for Manufacturing and/or Processing
- Daylighting Checklist
- Recommended Illuminances

SLIDE SHOW
- Slide Show of selected VGA Photos of passive solar architecture

APPENDIX
- Acknowledgements
- Copyright
- THERMIE and its RES/RUE Programmes
- Renewable Energy (RE)
- Rational Use of Energy (RUE)
- THERMIE (1990-1994)
- JOULE THERMIE (1995-1998)
- OPET Network Role and Address Lists
- Address List OPET
- Address List EC Energy Centres
- Manufacturer/Supplier Database
- Industry Organisation Database
- Bibliography and References to Design Aids
- Literature,Handbooks, Manuals
- Videos
- Software
- Glossary

SolArch Main Menu

6. LEGAL NOTICE

This shareware programme is copyrighted software. However, we  encourage you to share it with others as long as no charge is  made for the software. If you find this programme worthwile and  would like to use it professionally, we ask that you register  as a user.

The registration fee is 50 Euro to cover the expenses. See REGISTRATION INFORMATION in the readme.wri file which you can read after downloading. We also ask that anyone receiving this programme please fill out the enclosed questionnaire.

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of  the Commission is responsible for the use which may be made of the programme or the information contained within.

7. QUESTIONNAIRE

When exiting SOLARCH you have the opportunity to comment on this programme. Print out the questionnaire, fill in your comments, and send it to us via fax or mail. This file is also available in the SOLARCH directory (COMMENT.WRI).

8. INSTALLATION FILES

Diskette 1 contains the following file:
INSTALL.EXE
PI.EXE
PI.IJP
README.WIR
LHA.EXE
SARCHIV.003

Diskette 2 contains the following files: 
SARCHIV.002

Diskette 3 contains the following files: 
SARCHIV.001

9. PROGRAMME FILES

Upon installation the directory C:\SOLARCH should contain
the following files:

SOLARCH.EXE  file that runs the programme
SOLAR.PIF   Windows PIF file for 6B-Solar.exe
CLIMA.PIF   Windows PIF file for Clima.exe (6B-Solar)
COMMENT.WRI  Questionnaire
DLLGLUE.DLL

Upon installation the directory C:\SOLARCH should contain
the following subdirectories:

C:\SOLARCH\PROGS
C:\SOLARCH\MISC

The subdirectory C:\SOLARCH\PROGS should contain these 16 files:

8 Climate Files for 6B-Solar (edit using Clima.exe):
alberpor.cli
aldergro.cli
birr.cli
eskdalem.cli
kew.cli
kilkenny.cli
lerwick.cli
valentia.cli

Executable DOS programmes:
solar.exe (6B-Solar)
clima.exe (Climatic Data Modification)

UK/IRL Building Files for 6B-Solar
k.bld
t2.bld
test.bld
test1.bld

text1.txt - 6B-Solar text file
fokep.txt - 6B-Solar information

The subdirectory C:\SOLARCH\MISC should contain these 17 files:

13 Excel 5.0 Files:
daylight.xls - Daylighting and Passive Solar Design Technologies from Manufacturer/Supplier Database
ecoass.xls - Ecological Assessment of Building Materials
embener.xls - Embodied Energy / Energy Requirement for 
Manufacturing and/or Processing
gopalist.xls - Address List from Manufacturer/Supplier Database
illumina.xls - Daylighting Checklist Recommended Illuminances
j&j.xls - Address List from Manufacturer/Supplier Database 
matair.xls - Thermal Properties: Surface and Airspace Resistance
matherm.xls - Thermal Properties of Materials (conductivity, etc.)
matrad.xls - Thermal Properties: Radiative Properties of Materials
matvalf.xls - Thermal Properties: Typical Floor Construction U-Values
matvalr.xls - Thermal Properties: Typical Roof Construction U-Values
matvalw.xls - Thermal Properties: Typical Wall Construction U-Values
ventilat.xls - Ventilation Technologies from Manuf./Supplier Database

4 Text Files:
industry.txt - Industry Organisation Database
literat.txt - Bibliography and References to Design Aids: 
Literature,Handbooks, Manuals
software.txt - Bibliography and References to Design Aids: Software
video.txt - Bibliography and References to Design Aids: Videos

The files should all reside in the directories as stated above.

10. REGISTRATION / DOWNLOAD

Solarch is available on-line. It can be downloaded here. 
Shareware registration fees still apply.