About Thermal Properties for Energy Analysis

As you develop a model from early to detailed design, an energy analysis can use thermal properties that reflect increasing levels of detail.

For energy analysis, Revit allows you to use progressively more detailed and well defined thermal properties for elements in the building model, as follows.

Thermal properties are defined by...	Description	Hierarchy	Valid for these analysis modes
Conceptual types (default)	Broad categories that define general thermal properties for conceptual masses and building elements	Applied by default to conceptual masses and building elements for which more specific thermal properties are not defined	· Use Conceptual Masses · Use Building Elements · Use Conceptual Masses and Building Elements
Schematic types	More detailed categories that define thermal properties for building elements during schematic design	Used to override selected conceptual types	· Use Building Elements · Use Conceptual Masses and Building Elements
Detailed elements	Thermal properties are based on the materials assigned to layers for room-bounding building elements.	Used to override schematic types and/or conceptual types	· Use Building Elements · Use Conceptual Masses and Building Elements

During all phases of design, you can use a mix of conceptual types, schematic types, and detailed elements to define the thermal properties used during energy analysis. However, the general progression is as follows:

1. In the conceptual design phase, use conceptual types to define the thermal properties used for energy analysis.
2. As the model moves into the schematic design phase and you have more information about specific types of construction to use for roofs, walls, floors, and other elements, use schematic types to provide an additional level of detail for thermal properties during energy analysis.
3. In the final phases of design, when you assign specific materials to building elements, use the materials-based thermal properties during energy analysis for those elements. For elements that don't yet provide this level of detail for thermal properties, continue to use schematic types and conceptual types.

To streamline energy analysis and minimize the amount of input required, by default conceptual types define thermal properties for all masses and elements being analyzed. To make use of thermal properties defined by schematic types or detailed elements, change settings in the Advanced Energy Settings dialog.