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Abstract
The purpose of this work is to develop a methodology in the form of a computer model that enables one to construct a design and to do the required calculations for residences and small buildings. This model is user friendly. An example is presented to demonstrate the use of the computer model. In this example, the AUTOCAD model is customized to construct a three dimensional house design, and the Fortran program is used to do the heat load requirement calculations for a five months heating season. The customized menu works with the supported libraries and includes the macro commands and the Autolisp language. The solar energy that is absorbed by the house is included when calculating the heat energy requirements by the model, to avoid the problems of over-heating and any waste of energy. In the energy calculations the internal heat gain (occupants, stoves, etc.) is not included.