Sun hours analysis in Forma

Step-by-step guide

The Sun hours analysis in Forma calculates how many hours of sunlight a site will get on specific dates.

1. With a project open, from the right panel, select Sun hours.
   

To specify the area and time for analysis:

2. Click the Selection tab.
   

Choose from the available options to run the analysis for the entire site, the area inside the project site limit, or define a larger zone to see the impact on the neighboring buildings. To define a custom zone, use the Zone tool available under Limits in the design toolbar.

3. For this example, leave the area set to the site limit.
4. In the Analysis dates section, use the date picker to set the desired dates.
   

5. To add more dates, click the Add analysis date (+) icon.
6. Select Run analysis.
7. Once it has loaded, select Open analysis.
   

The analysis results show the number of sun hours for the date and time interval selected.

8. From the color legend, determine how many hours of sun a building façade receives.

To use inspection points to see the exact number of sun hours for specific points of interest:

9. Select Inspect.
    

10. In the canvas, pick a few points.

A tooltip indicates the exact number of sun hours.

11. Pan and zoom within the canvas to review the sun hours.
12. Click Inspect again to close the command.
13. Back in the panel, in the Analysis dates section, choose another date.

The canvas updates with the analysis for the selected date.

14. In the Direct sun on ground bar graph, select a bar.

The corresponding area is highlighted in the canvas.

These results can help evaluate the quality of outdoor areas, which will influence how much they will be used. This data can also indicate how well the building design will meet the regulatory requirements specific to its location.