cadalyst
AEC

Bentley Expands Sustainability Offerings with Acquisition of Hevacomp

22 Jan, 2008

Agreement brings tools to Bentley product portfolio for designing buildings that consume less energy and emit less CO2.


Bentley Systems announced Tuesday that it has acquired Hevacomp, a Sheffield, United Kingdom-based provider of building services design software. Included in the terms of the acquisition is Hevacomp's portfolio of software for energy analysis, heating and cooling load calculations, pipe and duct sizing, and electrical system design and product catalogs. Bentley reports that adding these applications to its software portfolio will help architects, engineers, and low-carbon consultants design buildings that consume less energy, have reduced CO2 emissions, and cost less to operate.

"The Hevacomp product line is an important addition to our growing portfolio of solutions that help sustain infrastructure and the environment," said Greg Bentley, CEO. "Hevacomp's substantive analysis applications leverage the content of the building information model, incorporating rigorous engineering and enabling infrastructure professionals and owner-operators to improve building performance and reduce lifecycle costs."

Hevacomp's simulation software helps engineers and low-carbon consultants carry out complex energy analyses to examine room heat losses and gains, summer overheating, peak design months, overheating frequency, and building energy. It also produces 3D external shading graphics and internal solar penetration graphics that show moving sunshine patches within rooms.

Hevacomp building energy analyses products incorporate the EnergyPlus engine developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, and software certified to perform CO2 emissions calculations required under Part L of U.K. building regulations. Market demand for these energy analysis products is growing rapidly in the United Kingdom because of highly aggressive government regulations designed to reduce carbon consumption, according to Bentley.