Our experience as building physicists has allowed us to build up an understanding of what goes into making ‘good’ buildings.
Our knowledge enables us to offer advice and guidance throughout the design process, right from early design discussions through to completion and in-use stages.
We respond to challenges and concerns and make creative suggestions for analysis that will help inform the relevant questions at each stage of the design process.
Assessing thermal comfort and overheating risk
Inkling have developed a reputation for providing sound advice regarding mitigation of overheating risk.
For domestic buildings this includes early stage advice and assessing compliance against Approved Document O of Building Regulations alongside the CIBSE TM59 methodology, a standard that we helped to author and test.
For non-domestic buildings we model overheating risk using CIBSE TM52. These assessments take account of the summer servicing provision and ventilation strategy.
We also have extensive experience undertaking thermal comfort calculations for BREEAM Hea 04 and Building Bulletin 101 (BB101) assessments for education buildings.
Thermal comfort models can also serve other purposes, such as equipment sizing and estimating annual demands for individual spaces or whole buildings. Winter comfort can also be assessed and space heating loads sized using either steady state or dynamic methodologies.
Modelling natural ventilation is often key to building performance. For example, to assist sizing of window openings to manage overheating risk and air quality levels or estimate the effect of wind and stack-driven ventilation.
Energy performance and HVAC modelling
Designing buildings that perform in-line with demanding energy performance targets requires quality energy modelling through the design process. Such targets include the EUIs (Energy Use Intensity – kWh/m²) used within NZCBS (Net Zero Carbon Building Standard), LETI standards and NABERS UK star ratings.
Inkling offer dynamic thermal modelling services that can help inform and support the design process from concept through to detailed design, commissioning and also into post-completion optimisation. Through robust modelling, design decisions can be stress tested to better understand their impact.
Further information on the value and process of carrying out this type of modelling is available from the LETI Operational Energy Modelling Guide (Inkling were lead authors). This is free to download here.
Inkling are also able to assist in developing a ‘digital twin’ whereby an analysis model of a building or development is fine-tuned to replicate its actual performance. From there, the twin can be used to refine and benchmark ongoing performance and also test the effectiveness of potential upgrade/replacement projects.
Compliance calculations
Inkling are Level 5 Accredited Energy Assessors for the production of Energy Performance Certificates for commercial (non-domestic) buildings and can carry out calculations in support of Building Regulations Part L assessments both at the As-Designed and As-Built stages.
We also carry out compliance assessments under Approved Document O for overheating risk and mitigation in new homes – see section above on assessing thermal comfort and overheating risk for further details.
Daylight assessments
Inkling can utilise our dynamic thermal modelling software to provide you with daylight assessments. We understand the tensions between optimising daylight levels and views out with mitigating overheating risk.
Simple metrics such as the Daylight Factor can be a useful tool for developing good daylight design, though enhanced Climate-Based Daylight Modelling (CBDM) has gained greater standing in recent years as it harnesses the power of advanced simulation tools to give a more holistic appreciation of daylight provision.
Our tools allow visual representations of spaces to be generated, giving a greater sense of the role of daylight in a particular space. These assessments can be used to support Education Funding Agency (EFA) requirements for schools and BREEAM Hea 01 for visual comfort.
Bespoke modelling services
Most projects require a range of services, so we tailor our offer for each individual scheme. We are familiar with the limits of the tools available to us, so can quickly advise on whether we think modelling can support your project.
We also contribute to a wide range of research projects and share our findings