Business GreenWire: CADmeleon launches energy modelling online tool for built environment

 Scottish-based CADmeleon has developed an innovative web-based virtual simulation tool that enables organisations to see the business value in building refurbishment as a front to a carbon reduction strategy.

Carbon Estates is a visionary concept that has caught the attention of major utility provider Scottish and Southern Energy, which has participated closely in the proof of concept for the system. The unique methodology of an online data model is a fresh approach that challenges traditional enterprise models.

Launched officially in May, the development of Carbon Estates comes at a pivotal time for organisations that, following the launch of the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme last month, now have to account for their carbon emissions.

The UK mandatory CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) from the UK’s top 5000 organisations.

Bernard McKeown, managing director of CADmeleon, said, "With buildings currently accounting for 45 per cent of our carbon emissions, the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is central to the UK’s strategy for improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.

"Measuring an estates energy performance is just one side of the focused retrofit equation. Measuring its potential efficiency and quantifying those gains with real numbers, letting people see the 'what ifs’, is just the beginning of what Carbon Estates can do.

"The development of Carbon Estates allows users to monitor energy use both on an individual building level and on an estates level. Buildings can be compared on a like-for-like basis using parameters such as age, construction type, usage and floor size. A key feature of the software is that it allows an instant comparison to be made on how the building should perform optimally against how it is actually operating."

Scottish and Southern Energy is a long term customer of CADmeleon and has contributed to the development process of the unique energy benchmarking software.

Nigel Ellis, technology development manager at Scottish and Southern Energy, said, "We are responsible for providing sustainable energy services through a broad range of innovative energy-based products and service offerings. Carbon Estates can help manage, monitor and mitigate carbon emissions from the built environment and we are delighted to be involved in the development of this concept which we believe to have tremendous potential."

Carbon Estates incorporates virtual retrofit simulation using a combination of individual parameters, such as lighting, heating and building fabric modifications, that allows users to instantly view changes in consumption across building portfolios before physical alterations have been applied. This allows for a cost-benefit analysis of asset costs against energy consumption savings, giving users an indispensable tool, streamlining the procurement procedure and ensuring that costly mistakes are avoided.

Mr McKeown, said, "The ability to forecast without capital risk, and to estimate savings in cash, kWh and CO2, is hugely beneficial to an organisation’s bottom-line, especially when relating to missing target penalties and carbon allocation repayments.

"Non-domestic buildings currently emit over 100 million tons of CO2 per year, representing some 18% of the UK’s total emissions. The widespread implementation of Carbon Estates technology would greatly assist the government in its efforts to address energy inefficiencies in non-domestic buildings and help it achieve its targets for reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 as set out in the Climate Change Act 2008."

Headquartered in Alloa, CADmeleon has offices in Edinburgh and Michigan, USA. The firm provides a variety of solutions to public and private sector organisations based on a core expertise in information management, using IT to improve business efficiencies.