Tools

CBE Thermal Comfort Tool

This web-based tool predicts thermal comfort according to ASHRAE Standard 55, with visualizations of comfort boundaries within psychrometric or temperature-humidity charts, and automatic generation of LEED documentation for thermal comfort credits. It includes models for conventional building systems (PMV) and also for comfort using the adaptive comfort model.

CBE Clima Tool

Clima converts weather data from around the world to a comprehensive set of high-quality, easy to understand graphics that can be tailored to the needs of the environmentally conscious building designers and other stakeholders. Users can browse and tailor views, and also download high-quality vector graphics in SVG format, to be either directly incorporated in reports or to be further refined.

Advanced Ceiling Fan Design Tool

This tool allows designers to quickly select and layout ceiling fans in a room to meet desired airspeed requirements, and to facilitate incorporation of fans into designs. User inputs include the room dimensions, fan types, airspeed and other constraints and more advanced settings. The tool displays plan layouts, sections and fan ‘cell’ details.

Guidebook on Fans for Cooling People

This guidebook can assist users in selecting suitable fan types based on individual building characteristics and specific application needs, with an overview of the criteria for fan selection. It also assists building designers and operators by helping them adjust appropriate settings in chillers, air handling units, environmental conditions and operation strategies.

Occupant Survey Toolkit

Occupant surveys are an invaluable source of information for improving the performance of buildings. CBE has developed a cost-effective, web-based survey that is intuitive and streamlined, preserves the confidentiality of respondents, and controls access in order to maintain data integrity.

CBE Rad Tool

The CBE Rad Tool is an interactive web-based design tool for the early design of high thermal mass radiant systems. The primary aim of this design tool is to provide an interface for estimating the performance of high thermal mass radiant systems under steady-state conditions (for both heating and cooling) and transient conditions (on the cooling design day).

Setpoint Energy Savings Calculator

This interactive online calculator provides estimations of potential HVAC energy savings based on expanded temperature ranges (deadbands). Typical office buildings with overhead variable air volume (VAV) systems consume large amounts of energy maintaining their occupied spaces within temperature ranges that their designers and operators consider acceptable.

CBE 3D Mean Radiant Temperature Tool

CBE developed an interactive tool that calculates the mean radiant temperature (MRT) and predicted comfort within a space, based on room surface temperatures, solar gain through windows and skylights. It also enables the input of thermal comfort variables such as clothing levels and metabolic rates.

CBE Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) Design Tool

This tool is a simplified, practical design tool to determine cooling load requirements for underfloor air distribution (UFAD) systems in interior and perimeter zones. This tool was based on a combination data and analyses to derive modification factors that will allow cooling airflows to be determined for UFAD systems.

Global Comfort Data Visualization Tools

A new suite of free online resources has been launched to facilitate academic and professional studies of thermal comfort in buildings. These tools can be used to inform questions about thermal comfort, and to encourage the design of climate-responsive and comfortable low energy (and ZNE) buildings.

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