New Weather Data Helps Designers Improve Building Energy Analysis and
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 10, 2009--
Greenbuild Expo 2009 — Autodesk,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering
and entertainment software, has announced that its Autodesk
Green Building Studio web-based service now provides more recently
documented hourly weather data for 1.6 million virtual weather locations
around the world. The previous version of the Autodesk Green Building
Studio service supported 55,000 locations of weather data for North
America and Northern Europe. The new version adds virtual weather
locations for Central and Southern Europe, Australia, New Zealand,
India, China, Japan, Philippines and South Korea.
Green Building Studio is an online software-as-a-service (SaaS)
application, which is also available to subscribers of Autodesk
Ecotect Analysis 2010 software during the term of their
Subscription. The web-based service helps architects and designers
working within a building information modeling (BIM)
process to perform whole-building energy and water analysis, optimize
efficiency and work toward carbon neutrality earlier in the design
process. With faster, more accurate performance analysis of building
design proposals, architects and designers can evaluate sustainability
earlier in the process and build more energy-efficient buildings.
"Architects and building engineers working on new projects or
renovations have a unique opportunity to help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and in so doing address the climate change crisis," said John
Kennedy, senior manager, sustainable analysis products for Autodesk AEC
Solutions. "To do this effectively, building professionals must pay
close attention to designing for specific local climatic conditions.
Giving our users access to a huge data set of hourly, site-specific and
more relevant weather information represents a significant step forward.”
The previous version of the Autodesk Green Building Studio service
supported weather locations mainly based on large airport sites. The 1.6
million virtual weather locations now supported by the service are
located no more than 8.8 miles (14 km) from any given project location
covered by the new data set. The new virtual weather locations were
developed using weather data from a variety of government and other
public sources, such as airports, ocean or river buoys, and aircraft and
satellite readings. An observations-based physics model (mesoscale
meteorological model) was then generated for each region.
“As the largest green builder in the United States, we are firmly
committed to supporting our clients’ sustainability goals,” said James
P. Barrett, national director, virtual design and construction for Turner
Construction Company. “The use of Autodesk Ecotect and Green
Building Studio, particularly during the preconstruction phase when
detailed building performance analysis and evaluation are critical,
enhances our ability to successfully deliver a green building to our
clients. The increase in virtual weather location data enhances our
whole-building energy analysis for our clients on new or renovation
projects. It helps us better project not only initial costs, but also
lifecycle costs for a more comprehensive view of a facility’s total cost
of ownership.”
BIM is an integrated process for exploring a project’s key physical and
functional characteristics digitally before it is built. Coordinated,
consistent information is used throughout the process to design
innovative projects and conduct analysis from the earliest stages. This
enables better visualization and simulation of real-world appearance,
performance and cost. Adopting a BIM process also makes it possible to
prepare accurate documentation and deliver projects faster and more
economically, while minimizing environmental impact.
Availability
Access to the 1.6 million virtual weather location data set is available
now to subscribers of Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 during the term of
their Subscription.
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 Green Building Studio 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.
Paul Sullivan, 603-289-8987
paul.sullivan@autodesk.com
or
Randi
Tanguay, 617-694-0333
randi.tanguay@fleishman.com