Companies Present Results of Extensive Testing on New Workflows for Rapid Energy Modeling at Greenbuild Expo

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 2009-- Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, and ICF International, the global professional services firm that studies climate change, have launched a study that posits a new technique to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, the world’s biggest polluters.

The findings were outlined in a joint research report entitled “Rapid Energy Modeling for Existing Buildings: Testing the Business and Environmental Potential Through an Experiment at Autodesk” presented today at Greenbuild Expo.

“Buildings represent 40 percent of global energy consumption and are the linchpin to achieving climate stabilization in a cost-effective manner,” said Lynelle Cameron, director of sustainability at Autodesk. “Rapid energy modeling has the potential to vastly accelerate the number of buildings that undergo energy assessment and subsequent upgrades.”

“The majority of buildings globally will either be new or have undergone significant renovation over the next 30 years,” said Emma Stewart, senior program lead for Autodesk’s sustainability initiative. “As our built environment undergoes a massive reboot, Autodesk aims to provide the tools necessary for our customers. Autodesk Revit and Ecotect Analysis are examples of products leading the charge.”

Autodesk and ICF worked together to interview leading architecture firms to better understand major obstacles to wide-scale green building retrofits. The study then applied rapid energy modeling techniques to six Autodesk facilities across three continents, comparing the modeling results with Autodesk’s carbon footprint data and contrasting the workflow with traditional energy modeling and energy audit approaches.

The report concludes that rapid energy modeling can be a:

• Shortcut to estimating actual energy performance with a good level of accuracy;
• Screen for high-potential buildings for renewable energy generation and carbon reductions;
• Stepping stone between basic building benchmarking and detailed audits;
• Financial tool for identifying lucrative building upgrades;
• Driver of high-quality green jobs with highly transferable skills.

About ICF International

ICF International (NASDAQ: ICFI) is a global professional services firm that addresses today’s most complex management, technology, and policy challenges in four key markets: energy and climate change; environment and infrastructure; health, human services, and social programs; and homeland security and defense. Over 3,500 employees on four continents combine passion for their work with industry and technical expertise to protect and improve the quality of life.

For 30 years, ICF has provided a portfolio of strategy, analysis, advisory services, and implementation tools to clients in the building energy and climate space. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, utilities, municipal power authorities, U.S. federal government agencies, international and multinational organizations, energy enterprises, power developers, regulated transmission and distribution companies, energy traders and marketers, oil and gas companies, industry associations, investors, financial institutions, and regulators. ICF regularly performs detailed analytic studies to help its clients understand leading building industry trends and the value of a wide range of building modeling and analysis tools.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies -- as well as the last 14 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality, and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Ecotect, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: Autodesk Inc.

Autodesk Inc.
Michael Cabot, +1-415-547-2439
michael.cabot@autodesk.com
or
Jeff Bliss, +1-415-547-2342
jeff.bliss@autodesk.com