The following tools are referenced throughout the 2030 Palette and can be used to determine the potential energy and cost savings of successfully implementing various swatch strategies into your design. These climate and energy analysis tools can be used in conjunction with the 2030 Palette throughout the design process to create zero net carbon, resilient, and adaptable built environments worldwide.
EDGE
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) created the EDGE program, a green building certification system with free online software for emerging markets. The free EDGE software offers a measurable way to cut back on the resource intensity of your building and allows you to determine the most cost-effective options for your building’s resource-efficient design. As a smarter world plans for zero net carbon buildings, the EDGE software empowers industry leaders to achieve this aspiration.
Look for EDGE Resources and certified projects integrated into the 2030 Palette.
PATHFINDER
The Pathfinder, a free web-based application, is a landscape carbon calculator that guides designers on the path to meeting the goals of the Climate Positive Design Challenge, which calls for global landscape architecture projects to collectively sequester more carbon than emitted between now and 2030.
SEFAIRA
Creating high-performing buildings requires that the project team is able to quickly explore design options and understand their impact on building performance. Sefaira Architecture enables design teams to collaboratively and rapidly analyze passive and active strategies to optimize their building’s performance.
AUTODESK INSIGHT
FormIt Pro for Revit generates insights using automatic analytical model creation and visualization of performance information directly in the modeling environment. Simulation engines for whole building energy, heating, cooling, daylighting and solar radiation simulation run using parallel cloud computing techniques to represent millions of potential outcomes at once.
cove.tool
cove.tool is a machine learning technology that helps users discover smarter ways to make their buildings energy efficient while saving on construction costs. The software builds smart, accurate models in a tenth of the time to help users explore a range of building alternatives and sort out the best one. cove.tool is available as a plugin for Revit, Sketchup, Rhinoceros, and Grasshopper, and integrates the 2030 Palette into its Climate Analysis, and connects directly to the DDx for easy AIA 2030 Commitment reporting and project tracking.
CLIMATE CONSULTANT
Climate Consultant is a simple to use, graphic-based computer program that helps architects, builders, contractor, homeowners, and students understand their local climate. Climate Consultant translates this raw climate data into dozens of meaningful graphic displays. Use Climate Consultant’s psychrometric chart to see which passive design strategies will have the greatest impact for your project’s climate zone.
To download climate files to use in Climate Consultant, visit Energy Plus Weather Data.
SUNREL
SUNREL® is a hourly building energy simulation program that aids in the design of small energy-efficient buildings where the loads are dominated by the dynamic interactions between the building’s envelope, its environment, and its occupants. The program is based on fundamental models of physical behavior and includes algorithms specifically for passive technologies, such as Trombe walls, programmable window shading, advanced glazings, and natural ventilation. In addition, a simple graphical interface aids in creating input files.
FENESTRAPRO
FenestraPro is a leading façade design platform that supports the design and construction of beautiful, high-performing facades. From concept to reality, FenestraPro optimizes sustainable façade solutions and seamlessly integrates into Building Information Modelling workflows, streamlining the design and construction of high-performance facades.