Sketchup Your Energy
What do you get when you combine free 3D drawing software with free energy modeling capabilities? Free building energy modeling, of course.
Software engineers at NREL have updated their Google Sketchup plugin to integrate with the EnergyPlus modeling platform.
In its simplest form, this lets architects and planners design buildings with sense of place – orienting windows and walls to maximize shade in the summer or sunlight in the winter. This “passive solar” energy efficiency really adds up, and has traditionally been overlooked in favor of existing street grid orientation and lot constraints.
Many architects use Sketchup models to please their clients, as fully rendered building elevations and fly-throughs are attention getters. But, if they’re already going to the trouble of building the model, they might as well show the client how much energy they can save!
Check out the video below for more features:
I’m tempted to draw a model of my house to identify the best location for a garden. Lots of morning sun with a little shade in the mid-afternoon. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?
There are other green sketchup tools as well. Get out there and design something!
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