ENERGY EXPRESS, NEW ENERGY BUILDINGS FOR AUSTRALIA

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ENERGY EXPRESS, NEW ENERGY BUILDINGS FOR AUSTRALIA
22 October 2006 - CSIRO

A new design software tool, Energy Express is expected to mark a turning point in the way energy-efficient commercial buildings are designed in Australia and overseas

The leader of the team that developed Energy Express, Mr Steve Moller of CSIRO Energy & Thermofluids Engineering, says, ''Energy Express for Architects evaluates the energy impacts of building envelope, shading and operating options by taking into account the major factors that influence heating, ventilation and air-conditioning energy consumption and cost".

Mr Moller says, 'The package also allows for comparisons to be made on the energy impacts of different envelope materials (windows, walls, roofs), giving the user the opportunity to make energy-efficient and cost-effective choices at the design stage'.

'It allows designers to investigate various options without the need for the time-consuming input of detailed HVAC data.'

Variations on the buildings design (layout, orientation, materials, insulation, shading, lighting, HVAC) and operation (thermostat settings, schedules, HVAC controls) are quickly evaluated and compared.

Operating energy costs are estimated using electricity and gas tariff data supplied with Energy Express, allowing energy cost savings attributable to a design change to be weighed against capital cost changes and other design criteria.

Graphical input of dimensional data is provided by an in-built 2D CAD system that enables the user to draw the outline of the building (the external walls) and to divide the internal space into thermal zones (internal walls) without the need for calculating wall and floor area measurements.

CSIRO has appointed Hearne Scientific Software as its national distributor.

Energy Express for Architects is expected to be followed by Energy Express for Engineers, and models created in one version will be able to be read by the other for further analysis.

Energy Express for Engineers will extend the features contained in Energy Express for Architects by adding tools for evaluating the required heating and cooling capacity of an air-conditioning system and for detailed analysis of air-conditioning options.

http://www.csiro.au

About: CSIRO
CSIRO is Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

As one of the world's largest and most diverse scientific global research organisations, work touches every aspect of Australian life: from the molecules that build life to the molecules in space.

Working from sites across the nation and around the globe, our 6500 staff are focussed on providing new ways to improve quality of life, as well as the economic and social performance of a number of industry sectors, through research and development.

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