Energy modeling
An energy model simulates your building through a full year of weather. It shows how design choices change energy use and cost before anything is built.
When you need it
- You need to show energy code compliance using the performance path.
- The project is pursuing LEED or another green building certification.
- You’re comparing design options, such as different HVAC systems or window specifications.
- An incentive program requires modeled savings.
What we do
Build the model
We model the building’s geometry, envelope, systems and schedules from the drawings.
Set the baseline
We model the reference building that the code or program compares against.
Test options
We run the design and each alternative you want to compare, and show the effect on energy, cost and emissions.
Document
We prepare the reports and forms the code official, certification body or incentive program requires.
What you receive
- Annual energy use, cost and emissions for each option
- A comparison against the code or program baseline
- Compliance and certification documentation
- Recommendations for the design team
Questions
When should modeling start?
In early design, when changing the building’s orientation, glazing or system type costs nothing. Late in design, modeling mostly documents decisions already made.
How accurate is an energy model?
A model predicts performance under standard assumptions, and it’s very good at comparing options against each other. Actual energy use also depends on how the building is run and occupied.
Can you model an existing building?
Yes. A model calibrated to the utility bills is a strong way to test retrofit options before spending money on them.
Further reading
- Commercial cooling load calculations explained
Understand what goes into a commercial cooling load, how the ASHRAE methods handle time lag and storage, and how to review a load report before equipment is selected.
- Diversity and safety factors in load calculations
Learn the difference between diversity and safety factors, where each should be applied in a load calculation, and how stacked margins quietly produce oversized systems.
- Envelope heat loss: U-values, thermal bridging and infiltration
Learn how to calculate envelope heat loss accurately, why thermal bridges and air leakage often matter more than insulation thickness, and how these factors affect HVAC sizing.
- Heating load calculations for Canadian climates
Learn the components of a heating load, where Canadian design temperatures come from, and how to avoid the errors that leave buildings cold or with oversized boilers and heat pumps.
- Internal heat gains from people, lighting and equipment
Learn how people, lights and equipment add heat to a space, how to estimate each with realistic values and schedules, and why overestimating them leads to oversized systems.
- Part-load performance: why buildings rarely run at design
Learn why design conditions occur only a few hours a year, how part-load efficiency differs from full-load ratings, and how to select equipment and controls that perform well across the whole year.
Related services
Also in energy and sustainability: Energy audits, LEED consulting and certification, EnerGuide home evaluations, Solar PV systems, Geothermal heat pump systems.
Get a quote for energy modeling
Tell us about the building and what you need. We’ll be in touch within one hour.