3.1 ConstructionSet Schema

While assigning energy constructions to individual Faces, Apertures, Doors, and Shades is a valid way to set set up a Honeybee Model for energy simulation, it can quickly become tedious for large models. It also limits the edit-ability of Models if, for example, you want to swap out the construction used for all skylights in the model.

To address this, ConstructionSets allow you to specify default constructions for different types of Faces, Apertures and Doors within a single object that can be applied broadly across the Model.

ConstructionSet logic

ConstructionSets are assigned to individual Honeybee Rooms. In order to determine the construction of a given Face, Aperture, Door or Shade, the following logic is applied:

1. Is there a construction assigned specifically to the Face, Aperture, Door or Shade? If so, use that. If not, continue.
2. Is there a construction for this type of object (Wall, Aperture, etc.) assigned to the parent Room's ConstructionSet? If so, use that. If not, continue.
3. Use the Honeybee Default Generic ConstructionSet to assign a construction to the object.

Note that, thanks item 3., all objects in Honeybee ALWAYS have a Construction assigned to them and there is no need to ever worry about EnergyPlus simulation errors resulting from missing constructions. However, the Honeybee Default Generic ConstructionSet is not representative of a particular building standard or climate zone. It is therefore recommended that users make a ConstructionSet that complies with particular building code, energy standard, or an office-wide basis of design and assign it to their Honeybee Rooms as a default.

Definitions of object types

While the slots underneath WallSet, FloorSet and RoofCeilingSet are pretty clearly set by "face_type' and '"boundary_condition"of aFace, the properties that define the different types of Apertures, Doors, and Shades` are less obvious. For this reason, they are defined below:

ApertureSet

• window_construction: A WindowConstruction for apertures with an Outdoors boundary condition, False is_operable property, and a Wall face type for their parent face.
• interior_construction: A WindowConstruction for all apertures with a Surface boundary condition.
• skylight_construction: : A WindowConstruction for apertures with a Outdoors boundary condition, False is_operable property, and a RoofCeiling or Floor face type for their parent face.
• operable_construction: A WindowConstruction for all apertures with an Outdoors boundary condition and True is_operable property.

DoorSet

• exterior_construction: An OpaqueConstruction for opaque doors with an Outdoors boundary condition and a Wall face type for their parent face.
• interior_construction: An OpaqueConstruction for all opaque doors with a Surface boundary condition.
• exterior_glass_construction: A WindowConstruction for all glass doors with an Outdoors boundary condition.
• interior_glass_construction: A WindowConstruction for all glass doors with a Surface boundary condition.
• overhead_construction: An OpaqueConstruction for opaque doors with an Outdoors boundary condition and a RoofCeiling or Floor face type for their parent face.

Shade

Note that the "shade" construction within a ConstructionSet is only applied to Shades that have a parent. If the parent is an Aperture or Face, the ConstructionSet of the parent Room of these objects will assign the Shade or the Model "global_construction_set' will assign it. However, orphaned Shades are unaffected by ConstructionSets and, if they don't have a ShadeConstruction assigned specifically to them, they will use the EnergyPlus default of a 0.2 diffusely reflective context.