This article explains what COMcheck is and how cove.tool helps COMcheck users to collect the project data and input them into the platform.
What is COMcheck?
COMcheck is an energy code compliance software tool that helps architects, builders, designers, and contractors to determine whether new commercial or high-rise residential buildings, additions and alterations meet the requirements of the IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1, as well as several state-specific codes. COMcheck also simplifies compliance for building officials, plan checkers, and inspectors by allowing them to quickly determine if a building project meets the code.
Walkthrough COMcheck Steps:
The steps to create a project in COMcheck are:
Select the appropriate code from the Code menu
Enter Project Information
Enter the Applicable Building Components
Enter Interior and Exterior Lighting information
Enter Mechanical Equipment
Check requirements, view, print, and save the project
What specific data you will need?
As mentioned above, after creating a project and selecting a specific code, users need to insert all their project information and data including:
Area take-offs for exterior walls, fenestration, roof, ceiling, basement walls, floors, etc.
Insulation R values, Fenestration U-factors, SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient), VT (Visual Transmittance), etc.
Lighting fixture details
Heating and Cooling system details (COP, capacity, etc.)
Service water heating details
How cove.tool provides these inputs?
cove.tool has two data-points that can provide the information required by the ComCheck platform.
Geometric Data: On the envelope tab in the COMcheck interface, users need to input the area take-offs for each of the building categories. Users can get all this area information from the Geometry page in the cove.tool interface. By importing a BIM geometry to the web-app via 3rd party plugins, all the area information extracted and collected by the plugins will appear in the fields on the right-hand side of the page. Users need to navigate to the manual mode in the geometry page and simply copy the area inputs for COMcheck analysis.
Engineering Data: Users can get all the engineering inputs by downloading a CSV Excel file on the Baseline page. The file contains all the technical inputs and performance data used in the energy model and can help with inserting the performance details of envelope components and mechanical systems into the COMcheck.
A visual guide for using COMcheck with cove.tool:
Step 1: Create a new project, select the appropriate code, location, building type, and enter the project area
Step 2: Enter the building components along with their areas and performance details
Step 3: Enter mechanical equipment details
Happy Modeling!!