Shading objects

Shading in IDA ICE affects windows and PV panels, but not walls. It concerns direct and diffuse solar radiation, but not ground reflected radiation. A window can be shaded by another building, or by its own building if the geometry is non-rectangular. For energy simulations and daylight simulations with the radiosity method, the shading is then defined by the building body geometry. The wall thickness is only shading in daylight simulations with the Radiance plugin using ray-tracing.

Shading building and Horizontal shade are described in Site shading and orientation. When opening these forms in the 3D-view it is also possible to choose the surface properties of the opaque material, including short-wave reflectance. This has an impact only for daylight simulations with Radiance, since reflections on the outside of the building are disregarded in IDA ICE, except from the ground.

The forms for Balcony, Fixed shade and Fixed fins are shown and explained below.

Field description:

Min, Max and Size The shading object’s size and position in the façade plane (m)

Depth The shading object’s size out from the façade (m)

Transparency [0-1] 1 is totally transparent and no light is stopped by the shading object. 0 is totally non-transparent and all light is stopped by the shading object.

The form for a shading object is opened from the Right button menu with the cursor over an object of this type (e.g., Balcony) in the 3D view.

A grid of shading objects can be created by selecting one or two identical shading objects and choosing Grid from the Right button menu.

Fixed fins/shade will be placed on the wall if the midpoint regarding x (width) and y (height) is on the wall.

Balcony will be placed on the wall if the midpoint of x (width), 1 m above the floor of the balcony (y-min) is on the wall.

Otherwise the object will be placed on the building body, which means it will be less deep compared to the wall surface and therefore less shading.