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Inserting Zones

 Select the CAD object

 Set plan height (above ground level)

 Confirm the CAD properties

 Open the floor plan level height form

 Type new view level

 Finalize view level setting

 Go to the zone template menu

 Choose the zone template for new zones

Note: From beginning, there is only one zone template (“Ordinary zone”) to select. As soon as you define other zone templates (as “Office template” in the preceding chapter), the list will be extended.

 Start inserting of new zone

 Draw a rectangular, rough shape of the zone by starting at bottom left, intentionally outside the building, and going top right

Note: IDA ICE will automatically exclude areas outside the building body from the zone area. Already inserted zones are also automatically excluded.

Note: Having finished the drawing of the zone, the program will automatically go into the edit mode for further amendments to the zone geometry.

 Choose a point to be removed

 Choose ‘Remove point’

 Choose ‘ Align point’ in the dropdown menu of this point.

 Move the wall to the desired location.

Note: The program automatically includes a new wall as the two walls are no longer in one line.

 Move the second wall to the desired location

 Move the third wall to the desired location

 Set new point

 Move the remaining walls to the desired location

 Name the new zone

 Define a zone group by giving a name.

Note: Zone groups are used to determine for example energy balance in a subset of zones, e.g. for a particular apartment, building section, tenant type etc.

 Finalize zone insertion

Note: When you click ‘Done’ from the zone edit mode, values for the new zone (as loads, air volume rates etc.) will be calculated from area specific values given in the zone template. The zone is then no longer coupled to the zone template. Later resizing of the zone will therefore not adapt these values, unless you mark the zone, select the corresponding zone template and choose ‘Reset selected zones to the current template’ from the zone template menu. To profit from the zone template, it is thus important either to edit the correct zone shape before finalizing zone insertion, or to reset the zone later on.

Note: Note that there is a difference between moving points with or without clicking and holding the Ctrl-key.

 In the side bar, go to the Palette tab

 Insert a second zone (double-clicking on ‘zone’ in the side bar has the same effect as clicking on the ‘new zone’ button), naming it ‘Office 1’ and assigning it to the same zone group ‘Offices’

 Insert a third zone, naming it ‘Office 2’ and assigning it to the same zone group ‘Offices’

 Insert a forth zone, naming it ‘Office 3’ and assigning it to the same zone group ‘Offices’

 Insert a fifth zone, naming it ‘Closet’ and assigning it to a new zone group ‘NonOffices’

 Move the cursor over the zones and the zone names will appear as tooltips

Note: In case you forgot to name a zone or want to change the zone name, there are several ways to do this:

• Right-click on zone and choose ‘Rename...’
• Right-click on zone, choose ‘Edit’ and rename in side bar

Note: The program will automatically detect how zones are thermally connected:

• Zones are regarded as adjacent, if the distance between them is 0.5 m or less.
• The same applies for adjacency to external faces.
• Wall parts having no adjacent zone or face are by default treated as adiabatic (perfect insulation at center of wall).

Note: There are different ways of opening a zone form:

• Go to the General tab and double-click on the zone name in the Zones table
• Go to the Floor plan tab and double-click the zone
• Go to the 3D tab, mark any wall of the zone and click on ‘Open zone’ in the side bar

👉  In the Palette tab of the side bar, you find objects that can be inserted into a zone. Insert new objects by double-clicking on them or by dragging the symbols to the zone form.

👉  All objects in the zone of this category will be listed here, when clicking on the radio button of the corresponding object type. The zone template influences the initially inserted objects and their properties. Double-click an object to edit it.

👉  These parameters also come from the zone template. You can edit them here.

👉  To simulate many almost identical zones, a multiplier is defined here. All variables coupled with the system (system loads, supply and exhaust air volume rate, also natural ventilation etc.) will be multiplied by this factor.

👉  The thermal bridge loss factor of the zone towards ambient is indicated here. It is normally calculated from the Thermal bridge coefficients defined from the General tab.

👉  Values for infiltration are indicated here. They are normally calculated from the Infiltration parameters defined in the General tab.

👉  Boundary conditions of the different zones surfaces are indicated in this section in the 3D view (the same information can be reached from the Surfaces table. All external construction elements are shown with grey surface in the 3D view and marked with red in the Surface table (They are automatically detected as external because of their proximity to the building body). Double-click on the elements (in the 3D view or in the table) to open their forms. Floor and room height can also be changed here.

👉  Go to the Advanced tab to modify further zone properties.

👉  The Outline tab is available in the Expert edition only.

👉  Go to the Results tab to study results for this zone after simulation. NB There are different ways of opening a wall form:

• Open the zone form and double-click the wall on either 3D view or Surface table
• Go to the 3D tab and double-click the wall
• Go to the Floor plan tab and double-click the corresponding zone borderline
• Go to the Floor plan tab, mark the zone, right-click its borderline and choose ‘Open...’
• Go to the General tab and double-click on the surface name in the Surfaces table

 Open the wall form

👉  Double-click on the symbols in the Palette of the side bar to insert zone objects to be positioned on a zone surface (alternatively drag and drop them in the surface editor or right-click on the surface editor and choose ‘New Object...’).

👉  The surface editor shows the zone surface from inside the zone, indicating wall parts due to different adjacent zones by dashed lines. Inserted objects can be positioned either here or...

👉  ... through the Properties tab of the side bar.

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