BcChart v2.0 – A Tool for Bioclimatic Potential Evaluation
Abstract
As bioclimatic design is becoming increasingly important in contemporary buildings, various analytical tools must be developed and introduced to the designers in order to guide them through the design process. Therefore, the BcChart v2.0 software was developed. It executes bioclimatic potential analysis of a location based on the theory of Olgyay’s bioclimatic chart. The main advantage of the introduced tool, in contrast to other bioclimatic analysis tools, is that it directly considers the influence of solar radiation, which is factored through substitutive daily comfortable dry-bulb air temperature. The paper presents the theoretical background of the tool. Additionally, the capabilities and functionality of the software are demonstrated through bioclimatic analysis of two different locations with contrasting climates (i.e. Ljubljana, Slovenia and Abu Dhabi, UAE). The conclusions highlight the importance of considering solar radiation when performing bioclimatic analysis of a location in order to thoughtfully design bioclimatic buildings.