Energy Modeling
Energy modeling is the process of virtually reconstructing buildings within a computer simulation program for the purpose of analyzing the energy consumption of building systems, and making recommendations for improvement. This whole-building simulation process can be performed for both existing buildings and new building designs to determine the best and most cost effective means for reducing energy consumption and increasing sustainability.
Energy modeling early in the design process helps to guide developers, architects, engineers, and building owners towards accomplishing their energy and sustainability goals, without repeating work or risking change-orders during construction. Many state and utility “clean energy” programs require energy modeling to qualify projects for large financial rebates, and special financing and tax incentives are often available to projects that have completed this detailed level of analysis. At times energy modeling performed for these purposes can be used to determine code compliance, reducing duplicated efforts and streamlining the design and construction process.
Our highly skilled engineers use sophisticated, industry-leading energy modeling tools such as eQuest, Trane Trace, and EnergyPlus for building analysis, offering the capability to project future energy use reductions, and the interactive effects of performing multiple energy efficiency upgrades to different building systems simultaneously.
Combined with a comprehensive energy audit, our energy modeling helps our clients identify energy conservation measures (ECMs) that meet cost-effectiveness targets and sustainability goals. This energy modeling is also used to keep buildings performing as intended when coupled with ongoing utility collection and benchmarking services. Our engineers calibrate each building energy model to current utility consumption to confirm the accuracy of our model and its projections.
No matter which state your building is located within, or which utility serves it, there is likely a significant benefit to analyzing its performance through energy modeling. Call us with questions about your specific building and to discuss how our engineers can help guide your team towards a greener and more cost-effective future!