Today I have started on the energy analysis portion of the reporting project. The first step has been selecting an appropriate software / means to do so. What I have discovered in the Autodesk lineup (which seems a logical choice for ease of interoperability) are the conceptual analysis tools in Revit, Ecotect, and the Green Building Studio.
Ecotect is the software that I chose, given that it is considerably more powerful and will produce the most detailed reports in the end. It also offers a way to interface with the green building studio, so it's a sort of two for one deal.
Both the tools built in to Revit and the Green Building Studio are network based services running as a "cloud" process. Basically this means that the necessary number crunching and updated databases of local energy costs, weather etc. are done off of the computer used to design the project. The services are both subscription based, meaning that they will be an ongoing cost for the architectural operator, but also that the databases of relevant information will be continually updated.
The GBS will take the project at various stages of design and return graphic analysis of various energy related performance parameters- estimated energy use, cost of that in relation to local rates, potential for energy generation, water use and cost.
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