FAQs
Is there a trial version?
Yes, you can ask for a 15 day trial access for SANSCalc Online by clicking here.
Is SANSCalc Agrément South Africa Accredited?
We have recently received a number of similar questions regarding SANSCalc Online software being Agrément South Africa Accredited.
Here follows the explanation and answer to this question:Recently we attended a SAIAT’s Energy Efficiency in Buildings workshop (based on SANS10400XA AND SANS204) www.saiat.org.za We asked the lecturers about their thoughts on the SANSCalc Online calculator and they mentioned that they are happy about any software calculator that would assist with the tedious ’deemed to satisfy” fenestration and other calculations.
They allowed us to hand out a SANSCalc brochure to all the attendees in the meeting. Their expert view is that you don’t need Agrément South Africa Accreditation for software that just assists you to do the standard ”deemed to satisfy” calculations as you can use Excel, SANSCalc, or your physical pocket calculators to do these calculations. The only time you need Agrément South Africa Accreditation for your software is if you don’t follow these ”deemed to satisfy” recipes provided within the SANS documents and that you then need software to prove your ”rational design” so that your building energy efficiency is equal or better than that of a similar building that do comply.
Software like Autodesk Ecotect fall into this ’rational design’ sofware category as it can do sun and thermal analysis based on location and orientation but at this stage Autodesk is not approaching Agrément South Africa for accreditation as Autodesk is planning to build the functionality of Autodesk Ecotect into Autodesk Revit and then they will relook at the situation.In a nutshell: SANSCalc do not need approval as it just uses the formulas from SANS 204 ( and SANS10400 XA) to do the fenestration calculations and so you can use it for your municipal submissions.
If you want to vary from the SANS formulas provided you’ll need to either use Agrément South Africa approved software to prove your rational design (at this stage there aren’t any software applications approved) or use manual calculation to prove your compliance.
How are the calculations done?
All calculations are based on the SANS 204:2011 Edition 1 and SANS 10400-XA:2011 Edition 1 documents published by SABS and in accordance with the tables provided in the document. For more information about this or to purchase the document please contact SABS on 012-428 7911 or go to www.sabs.co.za or www.sabs.co.za/Sectors-and-Services/Services/Energy/index.asp
Are all the SANS Energy Efficiency modules included?
Yes. All the modules from the SANS 10400-XA and SANS 204 Energy Efficiency in Buildings documents have been included. Online access to the site is subject to a yearly license structure, unless otherwise indicated. Should you not be getting regular email notification of these updates, please contact support@sanscalc.co.za
What is the estimated time for the installation?
No need for installation as the software is online. Simply click here and login to access the software. There is also a login button on the SANSCalc Online Page. The SANSCalc Revit add-in should not take longer than one minute to install.
Where can I get training and training material required to operate SANSCalc Online?
Some knowledge of the SANS 204 documents is recommended.
We have released Getting Started Video Tutorials on the SANSCalc Online Website outlining the functionality and work-flow of SANSCalc Online.
Courses are available through SACAP and SAIA, requiring Architects’ attendance in order to achieve ”competency” for municipal plan submission. Having completed these courses, and together with the demo videos we’ve supplied on the SANSCalc Online website, you’ll require no further training in the use of SANSCalc Online.
However, should you have any further questions, you are welcome to contact the support team at support@sanscalc.co.za or the sales team at sales@sanscalc.co.za and we will gladly assist you.
I work on my PC and on my laptop when away from my office. Would the same licence work for both stations?
Yes. You now have access from any PC or mobile device by simply logging in. If you have only one license and you have already logged on, say on your desktop PC and you now access the site via your laptop then the desktop PC access will automatically be disabled.
What happens if and when a new version of Revit is released? Is there an additional fee or am I able to upgrade with the existing licence?
SANSCalc Online is a completely separate product from the Autodesk products. We have adopted a time based licensing system, currently available as 1-year licenses.
Updates will be released regularly and uploaded in the background, as any amendments are made to either the software or the SANS 204 standard. The Revit add-on will be revised each year to cater to the latest available release of Autodesk Revit, which will assist in transferring the parameters from Revit into SANSCalc Online automatically. This add-in is optional and not required for SANSCalc Online to work.
Does the initial purchase price include subscription?
Yes, the initial price includes a 1-year subscription which means anyone who has purchased SANSCalc Online will be entitled to any updates, patches, fixes or new versions, free of charge for the duration of one year from date of purchase. An option to renew your subscription after one year will be available at an additional fee. However, if you opt to not renew your 1-year license access to the online software will be disabled.
Why is the price so low?
We have reduced the price drastically to cater to our new license model which is a yearly subscription-based model. We also have tried to make it as attainable as possible. We believe we offer the most complete software for the SANS Building Energy Efficiency calculations.
Can I load SANSCalc on my MAC?
As the software is online there is no need to install any software. You simply access the SANSCalc Online website via a browser.
Do I need the Internet to run SANSCalc Online?
Yes, as it’s online software you’ll need to be constantly linked to the internet, however small packets of data are sent across the internet so large data download/uploads are not required.
Is SANSCalc Online compatible with ArchiCAD, or other CAD programs, not from Autodesk?
SANSCalc Online is a web-based product, for use with any CAD environment, however, there is an extra benefit for Revit users in that with the FREE Revit Add-on, available here, you can automatically import data for SANS 10400 XA calculation purposes. This is an added benefit for Revit users that saves even more time!
In the Formula: A1 [S1 (CA × SH1 + CB × SC1) + CC × U1] is it correct that the variable S1 refers to Table 5, as per the text in the SANS204 document, section 4.3.4.2.3?
We have confirmation from SAIAT that in fact, this is incorrect. For the variable S1 you need to use the SHGC value of the appropriate fenestration element listed in Table 6 in the SANS204 document on page 14.
PLEASE NOTE: All SANSCalc versions have correctly used Table 6 in our calculations.