A Micro-Computer Aided Design Tool: Casamo

Summary

CASAMO is a micro-computer aided design tool, specific for architects and designers which allows easy optimization of solar energy use in housing: energy saving and comfort.

The flexibility of use and conversational procedure allow various systems or configurations (hyper insulation, passive systems, active systems…) to be checked and optimized.

CASAMO is used, since 1982, on many micro computers: APPLE-2, CBM 8032, VICTOR-S1, IBM-PC …

CASAMO calculates monthly heat losses of the building and monthly heating loads — taking into account passive solar gains and internal gains-. The method can analyze the effects of direct gains, TROMBE walls, sunspaces, and also active solar systems. CASAMO has obtained the aproval of the French Government to check the conformity of buildings to thermal regulations.

A new version of CASAMO performs an analysis of the internal building comfort. In particular, this new version predicts the possibility of overheating by calculating the hourly mean radiant temperature evolution, evaluated over a period of several typical days. The model, based on the finite difference method, was successfully validated by comparison with MINERVE code simulation results. MINERVE is a detailed code which was elaborated by centre d’Energetique of Ecole des Mines and is validated by experiments on a solar test cell built in Sophia-Antipolis. The adequate agreement between CASAMO and MINERVE is shown on figure 2.

Résumé

CASAMO est un outil d’aide à la conception thermique des bâtiments disponible sur micro-ordinateur. Depuis 1982, sa première version est diffusée en milieu professionnel sur APPLE-2.

Il permet de répondre aux préoccupations thermiques suivantes:

• comment implanter un habitat sur site de façon à utiliser au mieux le potentiel solaire disponible ?

• à combien s’élèvent les déperditions thermiques , les besoins nets de chauffage et les consommations d’énergie pour le chauffage des locaux et la production d’ECS ?

• quelles économies peuvent apporter des systèmes solaires “actifs” ?

• y-a-t-il risque de surchauffe du fait des configurations solaires passives retenues ?