BOSTON—With the launch of its free energy and carbon assessment software tool, Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) has made a global commitment to the sustainable building design movement. IES’s VE-Ware, which is available to download for free online, gives limited but valuable access to its world leading Virtual Environment Apache thermal analysis software. New and existing buildings can now have their energy and carbon emissions easily assessed for free.
VE-Ware will help increase the energy efficiency of the world’s buildings, both domestic and commercial, by giving instant feedback on a building’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions based on real geometry, and using international data on climatic conditions and the typical characteristics of different building, room and system types. It is ideal for use at early stages as it facilitates iterative design, allowing the comparison of different design, layout and system options.
Additionally in the USA, as a direct response to the Architecture 2030 Challenge, VE-Ware will assess how the building is performing against this benchmark. For example, does it meet the current Architecture 2030 50 percent energy reduction targets?
User-Friendly Software
The data entry and outputs are managed for the user so that anyone can use VE-Ware to help reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of a building. For example, an architect, facilities manager or building owner can, at the press of a few buttons, undertake detailed energy and carbon assessments that can make a real difference to the green credentials of the building.
Initially only models exported directly from Autodesk’s world leading Building Information Modelling (BIM) Revit platform can be accepted by VE-Ware. However, over the coming months this will be expanded to include other options for inputting the geometry data. The goal is to make VE-Ware available globally to anyone who wishes to use it, regardless of vendor or system.
“I expect VE-Ware to make a considerable difference in helping reduce the energy consumption of buildings throughout the world,” says Dr. Don McLean, the founder of IES, and a keen advocate of the power of integrating performance analysis into building design and refurbishment. “As a direct response to the Architecture 2030 challenge and other international green building regulations, standards and codes, VE-Ware gives everyone the capability to get involved in mitigating climate change.”
VE-Ware will be released this month. Interested parties can register at the website www.iesve.com/ve-ware.
