Energy Simulations using Ladybug Tools + Grasshopper

Name: Energy Simulations using Ladybug Tools + Grasshopper
Rating: 4.4 (86 reviews)

Learning how to use Ladybug and Honeybee from Tools for your residential designs

Created byIsabel Méndez Garduño

Last updated 10/2025

English

What you'll learn

Understanding of the logic and requirements of 3D modeling for environmental analysis and energy simulations.
Creation of hourly and monthly graphs of climatological data
Analysis of passive design strategies according to geographic location
Creation of studies of radiation, solar incidence and winds, and some applications in the envelope
Creation of energy models from scratch and analysis of results.
Understanding of the minimum requirements to generate occupancy schedules, equipment, lighting, hot water, HVAC.

Course content

7 sections • 33 lectures • 15h 7m total length

Rhino Installation2:33
This video shows how to install Rhinoceros software.
Software Installation (LadybugTools)14:40
Hi everyone, in this video you will install the software you require for this course:
LadybugTools
OpenStudio
Radiance
0B-Installation with Pollination - UPDATED 20256:41
Hi everyone,
I bring to you this new update. I explain in this video for Windows users how to install LadybugTools through Pollination.

For Mac users, it still needs to be the traditional way through Food4Rhino.
0C-Installation for Mac Users - UPDATED 202511:05
Hi everyone,
In this video I explain how to install LadybugTools for Mac users.
Explanation11:02
This video gives a brief explanation of Ladybug, Honeybee, Honeybee Energy, and Honeybee Radiance.
Meters Template1:48
This video shows how to change the Rhino tempate to always work in meters for Windows users.
2B Meters Template for Mac3:48
This video shows how to change the Rhino tempate to always work in meters for Mac users.
Legacy VS Tools29:55
This video explains the differences between Legacy and Tools

Envelope creation16:02
This video shows how to build the envelope from a home created in Sketchup. The aim of this video is to show you how you can work with 3D models created in another software and how to import it in Rhino and Grasshopper environments.

Note: The home was download from: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/ud028f350-f34c-443e-afd6-194a61adf0a0/Small-home; this home worked as a reference for our final energy model.
Rooms creation45:17
During this video we will create the rooms that in future videos will help us to build the energy model. This video aims to show you how to build each zone using the Rhinoceros software.

Reading and plotting weather data56:57
This video details how to read and plot the EPW file. It gives step by step how and where to select the climate data and how to plot the dry bulb temperature.

Besides, during this video you will learn how to customize your graphics.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Solving a doubt for the previous lesson. EPW not reading6:00
This video solves the doubt regarding red components for reading EPW files and the legend "old" over it.
Psychrometric chart and Heating and Cooling Degree Days52:31
This video explains how to create psychrometric charts, get the comfort and passive strategies polygon in the chart. Besides, this video explains what is the heating degree and cooling degre days component and how to take advantage of it.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Studies: SunPath, WindRose, and Radiation Domes35:50
This video shows how to perform three types of studies: the sun path, wind rose, and the three types of radiation domes.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Direct Sun Hours, Incident Radiation, and View Percent applied into the envelope31:54
This videos explains how to applied the direct sun hours, incident radiation, and view percent into the envelope.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9

Creating the Honeybee model from the rooms created in section 235:11
In this video you will build your home from an energy model perspective point of view.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Finishing the energy model and running the first energy model41:20
In this video we finished the energy model and run our very first simulation.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Customizing the model: Adding new windows and shadings49:22
In this video we will add windows and shadings to existent rooms by using the available honeybee components.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Customizing the model: Modifying the hot water program11:31
This video shows how to modify the hot water program for three zone rooms.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Customizing the model: Modifying the people program50:50
In this video you will modify the People template, you will learn how to assign activities and create occupancy schedules.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Customizing the model: Modifying lighting, equipment, and inflitratrion program27:30
This video shows how to modify the lighting, equipment, and insulation program type.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Customizing the model: Modifying the construction set and construction materials44:36
This video explains how you can create your own set of materials.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9
Customizing the model: Assigning ventilation, HVAC templates and airflow network15:30
In this video we finish the modified energy model by assigning the ventilation control, type of HVAC system and airflow network.
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Note: The grashopper file is for Ladybug Tools v.1.9

Room Energy Result, End Use Intesity, HVAC Sizing, and Thermal Load Balanace30:55
In this video we analyze four result components and how we can use the information that these components give us.
Thermal Comfort Models: Adaptive, PMV/PPD, and UTCI43:35
In this video during the first ten minutes we analyze another way to obtain the energy use intensity. Then, you will learn the differences between the three comfort models available at Ladybug: PMV model (or Fanger's model), adaptive model and UTCI model.
Solving a doubt about PMV thermal comfort map.20:05
This video solves a question asked by one of your peers. Here I show you how to analyze the thermal comfort statistics and apply specific periods to the thermal comfort and obtain the neutral, hot or cold condition.
Thermal Comfort Models applied into the Energy Model24:45
This video shows how to map the three thermal comfort models into the floor geometry.
Create the lighting schedule based on the annual daylight recipe34:50
In this video we will explore how we can create custom schedules based on the available components in Honeybee Radiance (annual daylight and daylight control). We reviewed these componentes in Chapter 5: Honeybee Radiance: Recipes.

Besides, we briefly explore what are the radiance modifers and how to use them.
Perform custom simulation outputs23:29
In this last video you will learn how to perform custom results depending on a list available on a dictionary of possible outputs.

Updating LB in Grasshopper environment and accessing the simulation report file17:17
This video is divided into two general topics: (1) Updating LB within the Grasshopper interface. (2) Reading the report result from the energy simulation.
Creating a tower in Dragonfly and simulate it in Honeybee25:57
This video answers this query: I want to do energy simulation for highrise tower of 30 floors. Can I replicate this model and how?..will it take too much time to analyze?
Thus, this video explores briefly the Dragonfly library from Ladybug Tools.
Stacked rooms with different apertures29:32
In this video the next question is answered:
The room creation creates an adjacency condition in the horizontal plane. Can we create models having rooms stacked one above the other with different apertures for radiation analysis, which will receive different values of incident radiation at different levels?

To add more explanation, this video shwos how to create it in Sketchup.

Requirements

No experience using the software is required. You will learn everything you need to know.
You will use Rhinoceros 7 or Rhino 8 (current files are updated to R8 version).
In a video I will explain how to install the programs that you will use in the course
Preferably Windows as operating system or working with Parallels or Bootcamp

Description

Course objective

Generate your own climate and interactive graphs. Learn to generate solar, radiation and wind studies and apply some of these studies into the envelope.

Create energy simulations in Honeybee Energy. You will learn the bases for energy modeling and thus be able to generate energy savings, decrease / increase interior temperatures, change of construction materials, occupation schedules, among others.

Scope

This course will provide you with the bases to carry out your energy simulations, to carry out these simulations using the Grasshopper program included in the Rhinoceros 3D software. You will use the LadybugTools tool: Ladybug, Honeybee, Honeybee Energy, and Honeybee Radiance.

Note: YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE THE INSTALLED PROGRAM. During the first class we will review the installation of the program and the plugins. Even if you already have the software installed, we will check that it is installed correctly. A bad installation causes that it does not generate the energetic simulations.

During this course I will take you by the hand so that from a 3D model of a house you can generate environmental analysis and create an energy model. Hene, step by step you will see how to build this model so that you can simulate scenarios and see the differences between both cases.

This course has the peculiarity that it shows you how to customize your schedules and laodsfor people, equipment, lighting, hot water, construction materials, add new windows, generate shading on them (louvers or parasols), and much more

Furthermore, you will learn how to use Honeybee Radiance for building recipes ato perform indoor daylight analysis and thermal comfort maps.

Welcome!

Who this course is for:

Professionals or passionate about architecture, energy engineering or related whose interest is to learn how to perform rigorous energy simulations.
Architecture, sustainable design and energy engineering students
Individuals interested in environmental analysis applied to the residential sector.

Energy Simulations using Ladybug Tools + Grasshopper

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Chapter 1: Software explanation8 lectures • 1hr 22min

Chapter 2: Preparing the envelope and rooms for the LadybugTools analysis2 lectures • 1hr 1min

Chapter 3: Ladybug from LadybugTools5 lectures • 3hr 3min

Chapter 4: Honeybee from LadybugTools8 lectures • 4hr 36min

Chapter 5: Honeybee Radiance Recipes1 lecture • 56min

Chapter 6: Honeybee Energy Results and Comfort Maps6 lectures • 2hr 58min

Chapter 7: Answering classmates doubts3 lectures • 1hr 13min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: