The Direct Sunlight Hours analysis tool calculates daily sun exposure for each point during the concept stage, helping architects evaluate sunlight impact, optimize building orientation, and make informed design decisions early in the process.
Note that this analysis cannot be conducted on a BIM model.
Step 1: Navigate to to the Sustainability tab (at the top right corner)
Step 2: Open the dropdown menu, select Sun hour analysis.
Note: Topography is required to conduct this analysis. Follow these steps to import topography:
Click "Import Topography" from the sustainability tab – This will open the import window for adding site topography.
Enter Site Details – Input the site name or enter latitude and longitude coordinates.
(Optional) Add Surrounding Buildings – Include nearby structures for a more detailed context.
Click "Load Topography" – The system will import the site context into the project.
Once imported, move and position the site as needed in relation to your model.
Step 3: Set the start and end date for your analysis using the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Finally, click run analysis.
Once the analysis is complete, view the legend showing sunlight impact on different areas of your project. The colors represent the duration of direct sunlight exposure across different areas of the model, with blue indicating minimal exposure hours and red representing maximum.
Pro-tip: To better understand this data, you can enable the Sun Path Diagram, which visually maps the sun's movements throughout the day for the imported area.
