Integrated software for 'green' buildings

SHANGHAI, China: Bentley Systems, Incorporated and Tsinghua University, School of Architecture, Building Energy Research Center, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will support sustainable building development in China.

According to the press relesase, it also will further strengthen and deepen Bentley's commitment to improving building performance around the globe through its recently launched Building Performance Group. The MOU sets the stage for cooperation between Bentley and Tsinghua University in the development and distribution of integrated software for Building Information Modeling (BIM) and energy analysis. The integrated design and analysis software will incorporate the Bentley Architecture BIM application and the Tsinghua University Designer Simulation Toolkit (DeST), a standard building energy analysis and simulation platform in China that has been used in about 20 million square meters of floor space in building design and commissioning. Architects and designers employing the new integrated software will benefit from the ability to launch an energy analysis application directly within Bentley Architecture, enabling them to immediately evaluate the impact of design changes on energy efficiency.

The first two versions of DeST were based on AutoCAD software. Under the MOU, Tsinghua University and Bentley will develop DeST v. 2 and DeST v. 3 - newly integrated core design and analysis software - on Bentley Architecture, gaining the advantages of its robust 3D BIM environment. The MOU calls for Tsinghua University to enroll in and receive all of the benefits of the Bentley Development Network, and for Bentley to provide Tsinghua University with assistance and support for the evaluation and implementation of Bentley Architecture as the platform for the integrated design and analysis software.

Dr. Jean-Baptiste Monnier, senior vice president, Bentley Asia-Pacific, said, ' This new standard platform for flexible design and highly accurate energy simulations will further advance the country's sustainable development efforts, and reinforce Bentley's global leadership in building analysis and simulation products for improved building performance. Bentley's new Building Performance Group focuses on software applications that address the global need to create and maintain energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, safer buildings that also set the benchmark for occupant comfort.'

According to thepress release, DeST helps architects and HVAC engineers simulate and analyze building energy use and factors such as artificial lighting, natural lighting, ventilation, and thermal performance, as well as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. It helps improve the reliability of system design, ensure the quality of system performance, and reduce the amount of energy that buildings consume.