Energy modelling has been shown to be one of the best-value tools in saving energy in commercial buildings and other large developments. A study by HOK Architects International recently put the payback of Energy Efficiency Simulation and energy modelling at a shockingly short one month.

This tool has, however, been out of reach for single-family residential homes and small developments. Despite seeing mainstream adoption in commercial projects, residential architects have not looked to simulation to inform their designs. That is, until now.

New methods

The reality is that the amount of work that goes into optimising the energy performance of a free-standing house is about the same as that required for an office building or large retail complex. The quantum of energy saving is, however, far greater for larger commercial developments.

The engineers at Solid Green Consulting have applied their minds to the problem and come up with a solution that uses bespoke software and automation to provide architects with answers to all of the most common questions on any project, to provide a solution that is energy efficient and thermally comfortable. The result is a seamless product that leverages the power of best-in-class Energy Efficiency Simulation software with the comparative advantage of the architect, engineer and software. By playing to the respective strengths of professionals and computers, we can streamline the workflow as follows:

The optimum division of strengths to most cost-effectively fit simulation into a residential project

The result is that architects do not need to pay school fees in learning new software. Results are quantified for each possible intervention, such as double-glazing, performance glass, heating systems and insulation. They are then presented for every room in the house, and the associated cost of heating and cooling is anticipated to give clients real metrics by which to make decisions.

Room-by-room analysis for summer and winter are presented so that architects and clients can make decisions using high-resolution payback and thermal-comfort prediction data.

In doing so, Solid Green has been able to radically reduce the cost of Energy Efficiency Simulation whilst maintaining the quality of predictive information to the client. To see how your residential project will perform before it’s built, reach out to us at hello@solidgreen.co.za.