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Designing with energy in mind: Spacemaker launches tool for real-time analysis of operational energy

Designing with attention to energy: Spacemaker launches tool for real-time analysis of operational energy

Spacemaker adds operational energy analysis tool to its suite of sustainability solutions, enabling designers to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings

Highlights of this press release:

  • Autodesk Spacemaker has just launched a new tool for real-time analysis of operational energy in the design process that is now available in beta in the platform 
  • The rapid operational energy analysis tool is an easy-to-use visual tool that allows designers to see, in real time, the impact of their design decisions on predicted operational energy.
  • The analytics tool helps architects and city planners design with energy efficiency in mind and allows them to more easily design outcome-based designs based on data early in the design and planning process. 
  • Applying operational energy analysis in the early design phase, when it is most cost- and time-effective, can lay the right foundation for minimizing a building's energy use
  • The new tool uses machine learning to predict energy consumption. 

Amsterdam, Oct. 31, 2022 - Autodesk Spacemaker today launches its operational energy analysis tool in beta. This easy-to-use tool displays predicted operational energy in real time and helps architects and urban planners design energy efficiently. 

The new analysis capability allows designers to assess early in the design phase the impact of design decisions on the potential operational energy of buildings. It is part of Spacemaker's real-time analytics, which also includes analysis tools for microclimate, solar panels, daylight, wind and noise. These give design teams the insights needed to achieve more sustainable outcomes.

Buildings in use require energy for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting and many appliances: operational energy. Buildings represent 40% of global energy consumption and cause one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Håvard Haukeland, Co-Founder of Spacemaker and Senior Director at Autodesk says, "Sustainability is at the top of everyone's agenda, and it is therefore important to make energy efficiency a priority early in the design process. The biggest positive impact can be made at this stage. Our new operational energy analysis tool ensures that 
architects from day one can easily simulate optimal solutions and thus implement the right strategies to reduce energy consumption."

The analysis tool has already been tested by influential architectural firms. Pablo La Roche, Principal & Performance-Driven Design Lead at CallisonRTKL: "At CRTKL, we believe that sustainable design is a necessity, not an option. Spacemaker's new operational energy analysis tool makes this easier because it allows our designers to better assess the consequences of their design decisions right at the start of projects. Tools like this make sustainable design more accessible and allow us to reinforce CRTKL's vision of People, Planet and Positive Design."

How does it work? 

In the analysis, users can adjust a selection of key design factors for energy consumption - including shape, window-to-wall ratio, and roof and wall construction - as they iterate their building masses, and then immediately see how those interrelated factors affect predicted energy consumption (kWh/m2/year). This instant feedback during the design process allows designers to iterate faster while seeing the effect of their decisions on energy consumption. After creating an initial design strategy in Spacemaker, users can further refine their design in Autodesk Revit and Insight. 

Early in design process influences energy consumption

Normally, building energy analysis tools are used at the detailed design stage, when fundamental decisions, such as massing, orientation and envelope design, have already been made. But when the design is already detailed, it can be difficult and expensive to make any major changes that would improve energy efficiency.

As a result, attention is then focused primarily on secondary measures such as insulation thickness, solar shading, and ventilation and air conditioning system efficiency. While many factors affect energy consumption, these early design decisions, often made before engineers and energy consultants are involved in a project, can be the biggest determinants of energy consumption. Spacemaker's new analysis method allows designers to optimize operational energy performance and building efficiency at the stage when it is most cost- and time-saving.

Already existing energy analysis tools can be complex and technical and require detailed design and operational input as well as expert understanding of the data. Spacemaker uses the same complex analysis for analysis, but then 
integrated into the mass model in an intuitive interface. The analysis uses machine learning, first analyzing a huge dataset of building models with a complex energy simulation engine for energy use against various building factors. These results were used to train a machine learning model that predicts energy use and shows early, fast and accurate results with rapid analysis.

Håvard Haukeland concludes, "Data-driven tools such as this operational energy tool that provides rapid analysis provide the foresight designers need to avoid potential design and construction problems at later stages, saving time and costs throughout the process. This analysis is an important step in helping designers achieve efficient and, most importantly, sustainable buildings with a long lifespan."

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