MIT Design Advisor

1238 visits
starstarstarstarstar
Posting Date | 11 December 2009
Type of tool | Simulation Tool
Countries where the tool has been developed | North America
Country where the tool is in use | Albania , Austria , Belgium , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , FYR of Macedonia , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Iceland , Ireland , Italy , Latvia , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , Montenegro , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Romania , Serbia , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , Turkey , United Kingdom , China , Japan , Other european countries , Pan European , EU Institutions , International Organizations , Africa , Asia , Central and South America , North America , Oceania
Geographic Coverage | International
Conditions of availability | Free
Expertise required | None
Number of users | 1400
Input of the tool | Using text fields and buttons only.
Output of the tool | Output is in the form of graphs showing monthly and yearly energy consumption, graded color charts depicting comfort zones in a room, 3-D perspective images showing daylighting effects, and a text-based page showing a comprehensive listing of inputs and outputs.
Strengths | Accuracy within 10-15%, to be used as an approximate tool for comparing early building design concepts.
Weaknesses | Difficult to fine-tune when a building is beyond early design concepts.
Tool Languages | English
Architects and Building Designers can use computer modelling to improve indoor comfort and energy performance of conceptual building designs. But most simulation tools are too complicated for this purpose. Quick, visual comparisons are needed for early-stage design. The MIT Design Advisor is a tool that allows you to describe and simulate a building in less than five minutes. No technical experience or training is needed. An annual energy simulation can be run in less than a minute, and graphical results are immediately available for review. Give it a try.
Description |

Web suite of building energy simulators that model energy, comfort, and daylighting performance, and give estimates of the long-term cost of utilities. The simulations restrict flexibility in order to offer users greater ease-of-use and speed. The tool can be quickly mastered by non-technical designers, and runs fast enough to allow them the scope to experiment with many different versions of a design during a single sitting. The immediate feedback that the site provides makes it useful in the conceptual phase of design, when architects cannot afford to invest large amounts of time to rule out any particular idea. The emphasis of the energy model is on the envelope system of the building, and includes simulations of high-technology windows such as double-skin facades. Energy-load estimates are based on a library of climate data for 30 different cities around the world.

Propose Content:

Comments

This item has not yet been commented. Please feel free to send us a comment of your own.