- Number 300 |
- November 23, 2009
Software helps design energy-stingy buildings
The OpenStudio plug-in is bridging the
gap between energy modeling and the
building design process.
A new quick, easy to use and free software tool created by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory developers seamlessly combines the building energy simulation of EnergyPlus with the popular drawing interface of Google's SketchUp, helping architects design healthier structures with fewer carbon emissions and lower utility bills. The OpenStudio plug-in is bridging the gap between energy modeling and the building design process. "Integrating energy analysis into the earliest design phase is very important because you can start to reduce energy use well before a building is even in conceptual design," said Nick Long, a NREL engineer who helped create the program.
[George Douglas, 303.275.4096,
george.douglas@nrel.gov]
