ESP-r Practical Training Course
This training course comprises sets of practical exercises which will
make you familiar with the main features of the ESP-r system.
In order to be able to use and appreciate ESP-r, it is assumed that
you have access to a Unix/ Linux workstation and that a copy of the
ESP-r software has been installed by
your system manager.
You will also need a personal user account on the machine and a number
of basic skills:
-
knowledge of simple Unix
commands;
-
familiarity with the local window manager;
-
ability to use the local Email tool.
The exercises are designed to progress you from the category of novice
to specialist over a period of time which will depend on your aptitude
and stamina.
Assignments
At various times during the exercises you will have to do an assignment.
Access to other facilities
You will be able to access more information under a variety of topics:
Before you start
In a training workshop the instructor would give a introduction to simulation
concepts and the context within which simulation is used before you would
start with the following exercises and assignments.
A typical introduction would include topics such as:
-
the difficulty of assessing the performance of the built environment;
-
the nature of simulation - what it is appropriate for and what it is not;
-
how questions asked by designers are translated into a sequence of simulation
tasks and models which represent the essential character of the design
and which deliver useful performance information;
-
common metrics that are used to assess performance;
-
the information that is required to support these metrics;
-
review case studies to show:
-
what the descriptive process is like,
-
what sources of information are available in models,
-
what information can typically be provided by modelling.
If you are doing this course in self-learning mode, please be
sure to read Introduction: why you should use
building energy and environmental simulation. (If you are in a hurry,
at least have a look at the practical
case studies.)