Simple step by step tutorial for using Sefaira for SketchUp to design high performance buildings

1. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Sefaira for SketchUp
Tutorial

2. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Start by creating a flat surface
2
Set location to New York,
and space use to Office
After you create a floor, you
see request to continue
making a building

3. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Let’s make a small building
3
Square footage based on
floor area
History tab shows energy
breakdown evolution as
your design evolves and
changes over time
Dials showing Energy
Use Intensity, breakdown
& daylight
Change units between
Imperial & Metric

4. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Ensuring your design is being interpreted
correctly
4
Click entity palette  show
entity types buttom to see how
entities are interpreted
Interpretation is shown
overlaid on the model
itself
If we have misinterpreted
an entity, you can click
the radio button to
reassign entities

5. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Now, let’s add glazing on the south facade
5
Green axis points to true
north.
Spatial daylight autonomy line
appears as does glare, if you
click the Glare button. The two
lines overlap suggesting most
daylight is too intense
The Daylight dial shows that
the space is underlit, and has
significant glare.

6. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Let’s minimize glare by recessing the south
facing windows
6
Now you will note that glare
reduces with daylight remains
unchanged
The Daylight dial shows that
while space is mostly underlit,
25% of the space has good
daylight

7. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
You can also visualize daylight by clicking
“OpenVisualization”
7
This chart shows you hours in
a year when daylight levels
exceed 300 lux on the work
surface, defined at 85 cm
above floor

8. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Now, let’s try to improve our design.
First we will reduce the energy use
8
Under the element
performance tab, you will see
that wall conduction is the
worst offender in driving
heating energy use
By clicking the flow from the
element, you can increase
wall insulation and reduce
heating energy use

9. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
How else can we adjust properties?
9
You can click the properties
tab, and have access to
detailed properties for all
design elements

10. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Interested in learning more?
Reach out to us: support@sefaira.com
10

11. Sefaira Confidential
Copyright Sefaira 2014
Confidential
Copyright 2014 Sefaira Ltd.
About Sefaira
Sefaira was founded in 2009 to help the building industry
create more energy efficient buildings.
Sefaira’s offers the industry’s only cloud platform capable of
analyzing new building designs in real-time. This allows
design professionals analyze and compare energy efficiency
strategies for new build or retrofit projects, so that they can
select the strategies most applicable to their projects. This
way, Sefaira helps users maximizing capital efficiency,
minimizing energy consumption and creating high performing
sustainable building designs at low cost.
From Sefaira's offices in London and New York our team of
40 dedicated employees support more than 200 clients
across the world.
www.sefaira.com
Sefaira Ltd.
22 Soho Square
London, W1D 4NS
UK
Sefaira Inc.
215 Park Avenue South, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10003
USA