IES Blog

After weeks of anticipation and around 250 entries, we are happy to announce the winner of our Global VE-Gaia contest. The envelope please…

(Drum roll followed by dramatic pause)

And the winner is…Brian J Wolfe of HKS!

With the quality of entries extremely high, Brian managed to impress us with his answer detailing how he felt “VE-Gaia = Sustainable Projects.”  Brian went on to explain the early sustainable analysis role VE-Gaia could play at HKS within its DesignGreen team, which he is part of.  His detailed and lengthy answer showed he really understood how VE-Gaia could make a difference in his day-to-day work, and that he was ready to get going using its features on real-life projects as soon as he could.  I’ve included some extracts from his entry below…

“IES’s program VE-Gaia seems to meet the wish of seamless workflow by providing many features. One of the most beneficial features is the Energy/Carbon Simulation. In the discussions of what is important to reducing Green House Gas (GHG), some groups say that project teams should focus on reducing the energy demand. Others say it’s more important to focus on reducing the carbon footprint. The fact of the matter is that this is similar to, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” 

“I believe that the IES feature Energy/Carbon Simulation would be of great benefit to design teams. By allowing teams to see how their design decisions can reduce the project’s carbon footprint, teams can better understand the project’s impact when compared to reduction of vehicle use, trees cut, etc. The reduction of the carbon footprint in turn translates to a more energy efficient building, hence energy efficiency.”

“By being able to determine the affects of the design decisions, teams will be able to proceed with confidence that the project is a quality project. For society to continue to enjoy the valuable resources nature offers and NOT compromise its future, project teams must develop sustainable projects. With so many different factors that contribute to providing a project that is sustainable, teams need assistance. Any program that allows the team to work seamlessly through design and sustainable analysis will not only provide that team a distinct advantage, but the team will have the satisfaction of knowing that it has done its part in seeing that the next generation’s future is not compromised.”

Brian has won a one-year stand-alone license for VE-Gaia, the company’s revolutionary architectural green building analysis tool.  He will also receive a three-part training course for two people, with a certified IES consultant. The total grand prize is valued at $1,840 / £1,200.

Brian was officially announced the winner at our booth at Greenbuild in Chicago yesterday.

Many thanks to all who participated in our contest.  The feedback you provided us is priceless.  As always, we remain committed to improving our products every day to better serve you, and we also hope that you will continue to help us help you make our world greener, one project at a time.

Once again, thanks to all the contest participants and congratulations Brian!

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Tags:competition, Greenbuild, software, Twitter, VE-Gaia, winner

Are your kids going to a brand new LEED certified school? Probably not, but the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced a new program, the Center for Green Schools. This new initiative is encouraging both the construction of new schools to be LEED certified as well as existing schools to make repairs with sustainability as a main component. As this program looks to green our schools, it realizes it won’t be an overnight process so before making large scale changes it is offering some easier options for older schools, like using green cleaning products or changing air filters.

“The education sector is doing more in the way of green building than any other sector, more than health care, more than commercial, more than religious institutions. But we still have a really long way to go,” said Rachel Gutter, director of the USGBC’s new initiative.

Along with helping schools build a greener facility, the Center for Green Schools is also looking to educate teachers so they are able to implement sustainability lessons into their classes. The thought behind this is if students learn sustainability at a younger age, just as they do with languages, they will be able to retain the information more easily.

The USGBC is looking for all of our children to attend greener schools by the end of this generation. Do you think this is possible?

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Tags:Building, education, LEED, students, Sustainability, USGBC

We’re going to Greenbuild in Chicago next Tuesday, will we see you there? We are exhibiting at booth #516, where we will join hundreds of exhibitors in discussing our newest initiatives and showcasing our work.

The Future of LEED Energy Modeling is here! Find out all about our exciting new LEED Energy modeling tool, the VE-Navigator for ASHRAE 90.1. Designed by experts in the field and already live project tested by users, it streamlines the calculation and submission process. Don’t miss exclusive live demos from our booth #516, click here for more information.  Talk to our experts and find out how you can be the first to access this new tool!

ECO-FRIENDLY easy scan If you’re visiting our stand with a smart phone then download the Scanlife app from your appstore (compatible with Apple, Windows, Blackberry, Ovi and Android), but why I hear you cry? You’ll have to stop by our booth to see!

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Tags:ASHRAE, downloads, Greenbuild, LEED

We’ve had a few requests this month to discuss what support we provide for people looking to learn the software from scratch.

We offer loads of ways to help you learn the software…

1) Have you tried our “Getting Started” Tutorials?
You can download an example model and work through the PDF Guide, which provides a basic overview of all our VE-Pro modules.

You can get started here:

> Example Model
> Completed Model
> PDF Guide

2. Still struggling?
Why not sign up to our forums where our clients and our support staff get together to discuss issues, solve problems and generally provide help to one another.

3.  Did you know that we conduct weekly web demos? Each week our Consultants are online to give you an overview of the modules, so that you can see them in action.

4. We provide training on all our modules! We also offer bespoke training options, you can come to us or we can come to your office, you can even do it online! If you’re worried about cost, student e-training is £60 per person per session, or you may be eligible for funding.

5. If your licence does not cover maintenance and support you now have the option to purchase support credits and get some more expert assistance form the good looking guys in our tech support.

There are also many universities that teach our software as part of their Sustainable Architecture, Building Simulation (and many more) courses. This provides you with a support framework of other students and lecturers to help you through your learning process!

If you can think of any other ways that we can help you, then please get in touch!

Kaye

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Tags:Architects, Building, Engineers, software, Training, VE-Pro