diff --git a/honeybee_schema/energy/properties.py b/honeybee_schema/energy/properties.py
index 83a5dee..07262a2 100644
--- a/honeybee_schema/energy/properties.py
+++ b/honeybee_schema/energy/properties.py
@@ -23,16 +23,18 @@ class ShadeEnergyPropertiesAbridged(BaseModel):
     type: constr(regex='^ShadeEnergyPropertiesAbridged$') = \
         'ShadeEnergyPropertiesAbridged'
 
-    transmittance_schedule: str = Field(
+    construction:  str = Field(
         default=None,
         min_length=1,
         max_length=100,
         description='Name of a ShadeConstruction to set the reflectance and '
             'specularity of the Shade. If None, the construction is set by the'
-            'parent Room construction_set or the Model global_construction_set.'
+            'parent Room construction_set, the Model global_construction_set or '
+            '(in the case fo an orphaned shade) the EnergyPlus default of 0.2 '
+            'diffuse reflectance.'
     )
 
-    construction:  str = Field(
+    transmittance_schedule: str = Field(
         default=None,
         min_length=1,
         max_length=100,
@@ -131,12 +133,12 @@ class RoomEnergyPropertiesAbridged(BaseModel):
 
     electric_equipment: ElectricEquipmentAbridged = Field(
         default=None,
-        description='ElectricEquipment object to describe the equipment usage.'
+        description='ElectricEquipment object to describe the electric equipment usage.'
     )
 
     gas_equipment: GasEquipmentAbridged = Field(
         default=None,
-        description='GasEquipment object to describe the equipment usage.'
+        description='GasEquipment object to describe the gas equipment usage.'
     )
 
     infiltration: InfiltrationAbridged = Field(
@@ -168,7 +170,11 @@ class ModelEnergyProperties(BaseModel):
     type: constr(regex='^ModelEnergyProperties$') = \
         'ModelEnergyProperties'
 
-    terrain_type: TerrianTypes = TerrianTypes.city
+    terrain_type: TerrianTypes = Field(
+        default=TerrianTypes.city,
+        description='Text for the terrain in which the model sits. This is used '
+            'to determine the wind profile over the height of the rooms.'
+    )
 
     global_construction_set: str = Field(
         default=None,
@@ -202,14 +208,14 @@ class ModelEnergyProperties(BaseModel):
             'materials needed to make the Model constructions.'
     )
 
-    hvacs: List[IdealAirSystemAbridged] = Field(
+    hvacs: List[Union[IdealAirSystemAbridged]] = Field(
         default=None,
-        description='List of all ProgramTypes in the Model.'
+        description='List of all HVAC systems in the Model.'
     )
 
     program_types: List[ProgramTypeAbridged] = Field(
         default=None,
-        description='List of all HVAC systems in the Model.'
+        description='List of all ProgramTypes in the Model.'
     )
 
     schedules: List[Union[ScheduleRulesetAbridged, ScheduleFixedIntervalAbridged]] = Field(
diff --git a/honeybee_schema/model.py b/honeybee_schema/model.py
index 42fc208..077b00d 100644
--- a/honeybee_schema/model.py
+++ b/honeybee_schema/model.py
@@ -71,9 +71,10 @@ def check_num_items(cls, v):
 
     @validator('holes')
     def check_num_items_holes(cls, v):
-        for pt_list in v:
-            for pt in pt_list:
-                assert len(pt) == 3, 'Number of floats must be 3 for (x, y, z).'
+        if v is not None:
+            for pt_list in v:
+                for pt in pt_list:
+                    assert len(pt) == 3, 'Number of floats must be 3 for (x, y, z).'
         return v
 
 
@@ -264,7 +265,9 @@ class RoomPropertiesAbridged(BaseModel):
 
     type: constr(regex='^RoomPropertiesAbridged$') = 'RoomPropertiesAbridged'
 
-    energy: RoomEnergyPropertiesAbridged
+    energy: RoomEnergyPropertiesAbridged = Field(
+        default=None
+    )
 
 
 class Room(NamedBaseModel):
@@ -277,7 +280,7 @@ class Room(NamedBaseModel):
         description='Faces that together form the closed volume of a room.'
     )
 
-    indoor_shades:  List[Shade] = Field(
+    indoor_shades: List[Shade] = Field(
         default=None,
         description='Shades assigned to the interior side of this object '
             '(eg. partitions, tables).'
@@ -298,7 +301,7 @@ class Room(NamedBaseModel):
     multiplier: int = Field(
         1,
         ge=1,
-        description='Get or set an integer noting how many times this Room is repeated. '
+        description='An integer noting how many times this Room is repeated. '
             'Multipliers are used to speed up the calculation when similar Rooms are '
             'repeated more than once. Essentially, a given simulation with the '
             'Room is run once and then the result is mutliplied by the multiplier.'
@@ -309,7 +312,9 @@ class ModelProperties(BaseModel):
 
     type: constr(regex='^ModelProperties$') = 'ModelProperties'
 
-    energy: ModelEnergyProperties
+    energy: ModelEnergyProperties = Field(
+        default=None
+    )
 
 
 class Model(NamedBaseModel):