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Computer-Aided EcoDesign
4 Mar, 2010 By: Kenneth Wong3D model–based technologies are helping assess — and reduce — a design's impact on the environment.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in the Winter 2010 edition of Cadalyst magazine.
Until recently, building information modeling (BIM) software such as Autodesk Revit, Bentley Architecture, Graphisoft ArchiCAD, and Vectorworks Architect focused primarily on modeling and refining building geometry. To analyze the energy consumption of a building, users relied on third-party software such as Green Building Studio, Ecotect, Hevacomp, and IES
In January 2008, Bentley Systems acquired energy-analysis software maker Hevacomp Ltd. In June 2008, the company struck an agreement with Environmental Design Solutions Ltd. (EDSL), securing exclusive worldwide rights to distribute EDSL's Tas, a full-featured analysis software suite intended for complex building systems and large projects. In July 2008, Autodesk followed suit. It snatched up Green Building Studio and Ecotect, signaling its intent to integrate Green Building Studio's web-based analysis tools and Ecotect's energy analysis tools with Revit.
Nemetschek, which develops and markets the Vectorworks BIM software and also owns Graphisoft, has made a considerable effort to ensure its modeling platforms are interoperable with IES
At the moment, IES remains an independent analysis software provider, operating under the guidance of its founder, Don McLean. His desire to make analysis software that is easier to learn and use led to the distribution of IES VE-Ware, a free analysis module compatible with Google SketchUp, also free, and Autodesk Revit. Using Google SketchUp and IES VE-Ware, users can conduct basic building energy analyses — carbon emissions, energy consumption, and regulatory compliance — at no cost.
The integration of analysis functions in BIM software such as ArchiCAD and Revit and the availability of free analysis tools such as IES VE-Ware foretell a future where most, if not all, BIM software will include entry-level sustainability tools, much in the same way basic stress-analysis and finite-element analysis (FEA) tools have become standard features of most mid-range and high-end mechanical CAD programs.
Follow the Sun
Providing guidance for what it describes as "integrated whole building techniques and technologies," the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) portal urges architects to consider the "energy implications in site selection and building orientation." WBDG's suggestions include: "Orient buildings to be able to integrate passive and active solar strategies ... take advantage of natural ventilation and prevailing wind patterns ... and investigate the potential impact of future adjacent developments to the site (e.g., solar and wind exposure, daylighting, ventilation, etc.)."
Solar study — or identifying heat gain, heat loss, and comfort levels at the target site based on annual sun path — has become an integral component of most leading building energy-analysis software packages. Most products mentioned previously — including Ecotect, Hevacomp, and IES
These tools allow a user to calculate the anticipated solar radiation on a virtual buildings' windows, surfaces, rooms, and spaces; compare summer and winter heat patterns; and identify heating and cooling requirements to keep residents comfortable throughout the year. Depending on the outcome of this simulation exercise, you might add shading devices, install photovoltaic panels, or reorient the building to take advantage of prevailing wind patterns.
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