This tool provides designers with a simple metric to assess current and future climate data, and its relation to building energy use
Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) announced the creation of an innovative Climate Energy Index system for its software. This new index provides a simple, intuitive tool to assess the character of any climate and the potential it has to affect building energy usage. A world first, this addition to the software allows designers and architects to easily analyze climate data for any location during concept design stages in a building-independent manner, helping to identify the theoretical energy needed to maintain occupant comfort and inform strategy direction.
Looking at the climate, in the building-independent manner, at both the local level and within a global context creates a detailed understanding of the climate, what regions share similar characteristics, where energy use needs to be focused to deliver occupant comfort. It also provides a simple benchmark for comparing climate/weather files. It’s a key element that’s often overlooked in the sustainable building design process. In addition, including future weather data allows an understanding of climate dynamics over the life of the building to be achieved.
The IES Climate Energy Index assists in master planning and concept design to understand what passive and low-carbon design strategies make the most sense. Building simulation results can also be compared with this Index to give a simple measure of design performance against potential given the climate.
