Checklist-to-Config

Reads energy code compliance checklists and produces validated JSON configuration files through collaborative dialogue with the user. The config files drive OpenStudio measures that apply properties to building energy models.

Current Scope: v1 Envelope only (roof, walls, floors, fenestration, doors, infiltration)

When to Use This Skill

Invoke when:

• Translating a compliance checklist into model-ready properties
• Building a JSON config for apply_envelope_from_config or future measures
• The user has a compliance checklist and DD drawings and needs to populate material layers
• Resuming a partially-completed config interview

Interactive Interview Process

Follow these five steps in order. One question at a time. Multiple choice preferred.

Step 1: Intake

1. Read the compliance checklist file provided by the user
2. Read the JSON schema to understand every required field:

   .claude/skills/checklist-to-config/schemas/envelope-config.schema.json
   

3. Build a gaps list: which fields have values in the checklist vs. which are missing

Step 2: Triage

Group every config field into three categories and present the summary to the user:

• Known - Values clearly stated in the checklist (e.g., "Roof R-31.25, U-0.032"). These will be auto-populated.
• Findable - Values not in the checklist but likely in specific documents. Recommend where to look:
  • "Check sheet A-501 for the roof detail section"
  • "The door schedule is typically on the architectural set"
  • "Wall section details are usually on structural sheets S-XXX"
• Unknown - Genuinely missing, needs design team input or a default assumption

Present the triage table and ask the user to confirm before proceeding.

Step 3: Interview (Assembly by Assembly)

Walk through each envelope assembly one at a time in this order:

1. Roof
2. Walls above grade
3. Walls below grade
4. Floors
5. Slab on grade
6. Fenestration (vertical glazing)
7. Doors (swinging, nonswinging)
8. Infiltration

For each assembly:

1. Present what's known from the checklist (R-values, U-factors, types)

2. Ask for material layer details from the DD set. Offer common assemblies as multiple choice:

   Roof assembly. The checklist shows IEAD roof at R-31.25 (U-0.032). What materials make up this assembly?

   1. TPO/EPDM membrane + polyiso + metal deck (most common for commercial)
   2. Built-up roof + polyiso + concrete deck
   3. I have the roof detail — let me describe it
   4. Not sure yet — use a typical assembly

3. For each layer, collect or confirm:

   • Material name
   • Thickness (accept IP, convert to SI)
   • Conductivity (W/m-K)
   • Density (kg/m3)
   • Specific heat (J/kg-K)
   • For air gaps: thermal resistance (m2-K/W) instead of layer properties

4. For Findable gaps, recommend specific places to look:

   • "This is usually in the wall section detail on sheet A-XXX"
   • "Check the door schedule for the U-factor"

5. For Unknown gaps, offer smart defaults with engineering justification:

   • "No VT specified. For SHGC 0.33, typical VT is 0.42-0.50. Use 0.45 as placeholder?"
   • "Typical steel stud + R-19 batt has conductivity ~0.049 W/m-K"
   • Mark defaulted items as "status": "flagged" with a note explaining the assumption

6. Handle TBD items: If the user doesn't have the information and doesn't want a default, set "status": "tbd" with a descriptive note. The measure will skip these.

Step 4: Validation (Per Assembly)

After completing each assembly, show what will go into the config:

Roof Assembly Summary:
  ID: roof_iead
  Type: IEAD
  U-factor: 0.182 W/m2-K (0.032 Btu/h-ft2-F)
  Layers (outside to inside):
    1. TPO Membrane — 3mm, k=0.17, rho=1400, cp=900
    2. Polyiso Insulation — 127mm, k=0.024, rho=32, cp=1470
    3. Metal Deck — 2mm, k=45.0, rho=7800, cp=500
  Status: verified
  Apply to: all exterior roofs

Does this look correct? [Yes / Edit a layer / Add a layer / Start over]

Step 5: Output

1. Assemble the complete JSON config with all assemblies
2. Populate the metadata section (project name, climate zone, date, etc.)
3. Save to the project configs directory:

   User-Files/work-tracking/projects/{project}/configs/{project}_envelope_v1.json
   

4. Run validation:

   node .claude/skills/checklist-to-config/tools/validate-config.js <config-path>
   

5. Report validation results to user
6. If validation fails, walk through errors and fix interactively

Unit Conversion Reference

All config values are stored in SI units. During the interview, accept IP values and convert:

Property	IP Unit	SI Unit	Conversion
U-factor	Btu/h-ft2-F	W/m2-K	× 5.678
R-value	h-ft2-F/Btu	m2-K/W	× 0.1761
Thickness	inches	meters	× 0.0254
Conductivity	Btu-in/h-ft2-F	W/m-K	× 0.1442
Density	lb/ft3	kg/m3	× 16.018
Specific heat	Btu/lb-F	J/kg-K	× 4186.8
Infiltration	cfm/ft2	m3/s-m2	× 0.00508
C-factor	Btu/h-ft2-F	W/m2-K	× 5.678
F-factor	Btu/h-ft-F	W/m-K	× 1.731

Config Schema

The JSON schema defines the complete structure:

.claude/skills/checklist-to-config/schemas/envelope-config.schema.json

Key design principles:

• SI units for all thermal values (what OpenStudio consumes)
• IP equivalents stored as metadata for human readability
• status field on each item: verified, tbd, or flagged
• layers[] array for opaque constructions with full material properties
• Nullable fields — null means "not yet known"
• No massless materials — detailed layers required for LEED G2.2 compliance

Validation Tool

node .claude/skills/checklist-to-config/tools/validate-config.js <path-to-config.json>

Checks:

• All required fields present per schema
• SI values non-null for verified items
• Value ranges physically reasonable
• Every layers[] entry has required material properties
• No tbd items will be silently applied

Status Field Rules

Status	Meaning	Measure Behavior
verified	Value confirmed by user or checklist	Apply to model
tbd	Not yet known	Skip — do not apply
flagged	Value has known issue or uses default	Apply with warning logged

Resuming a Partial Interview

If context overflows or the session ends mid-interview:

1. Check for existing config file in the configs directory
2. Read it to see which assemblies are complete
3. Resume from the next incomplete assembly
4. The config file is the durable artifact — everything answered so far is preserved

Integration

This skill produces configs consumed by:

• apply_envelope_from_config measure (v1 — envelope)
• Future: apply_loads_from_config, apply_hvac_from_config, apply_swh_from_config

After config generation, the workflow continues with:

1. writing-openstudio-model-measures — writes the measure if not yet written
2. running-openstudio-models — applies measure and runs simulation
3. energyplus-assistant — QA/QC validation of results