The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the release of a new feature—developed in collaboration with Autodesk—that will automate the AIA 2030 Commitment data reporting from energy analysis software directly to the Design Data Exchange (DDx). This collaboration has resulted in an open Automated Program Interface (API) to the DDx, available to any energy modeling software vendor, reducing the duplication of effort using the existing process.
The new automated connection will allow the more than 350 AIA 2030 committed firms to report their project and portfolio performance to the DDx directly from Autodesk Insight 360, a technology addition included in Autodesk Revit and Autodesk FormIt 360 Pro subscriptions. This automated process between Insight 360 and DDx will eliminate the need for manual data entry and eliminates duplication of effort encouraging performance analysis and more frequent reporting throughout the design process instead of annually. The DDx interface is open source with the ability to connect with other energy modeling software providers. Additional vendors are welcome to link up with the DDx system.
Eliminating the overhead of manual reporting not only saves time but it also enables more regular updates so firms can get up-to-the-minute progress on their projects and portfolio. In terms of actually meeting the targets themselves one of the key findings of the 2014 progress report was the critical role that energy modeling plays, and how projects that applied energy modeling were generally higher performing.
For example, of the projects submitted in the 2014 reporting period, nearly 50 percent of the projects where an energy model was created met or came close to achieving the AIA 2030 Commitment goals, whereas 80 percent of non-model projects fell below the 40 percent target. This offering helps to lower the barriers to energy modeling, making it possible to conduct energy modeling on virtually every project, especially from the early stages, but in doing so automatic reporting to DDx is essentially free.
Related Stories
| Aug 22, 2014
Spireworks app lets users control a piece of the New York skyline
Mark Domino, the son-in-law of developer Douglas Durst, has developed an app, called Spireworks, that allows anyone with a smartphone to change the color of a building's lights.
Sponsored | | Aug 21, 2014
Defining the measure of success when implementing new technologies
Sasha Reed and Chad Dorgan, McCarthy Building Cos.’s Vice President of Quality and Sustainability, discuss the keys to managing innovation within a large construction firm. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 14, 2014
8 do's and don'ts for completing an HVAC life cycle cost assessment
There are many hurdles to overcome when completing a life cycle cost assessment. RMF Engineering’s Seth Spangler offers some words of advice regarding LCCAs.
| Aug 14, 2014
Life cycle cost analysis using energy modeling
A life cycle cost analysis helps a school district decide which HVAC system to use in $198 million worth of future building projects.
Sponsored | | Aug 8, 2014
Setting guidelines for construction PDF documents across the AEC industry
Sasha Reed interviews two members of the coalition responsible for creating new Guidelines for Construction PDF Documents. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 4, 2014
BIM Giants: Firms enhance BIM/VDC with advanced collaboration tools [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Cloud-based data sharing, rapid iterative design, and cross-discipline collaboration are among the emerging trends in the BIM/VDC field, according to BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 4, 2014
7 habits of highly effective digital enterprises
Transforming your firm into a “digital business” is particularly challenging because digital touches every function while also demanding the rapid development of new skills and investments. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 4, 2014
What AEC executives can do to position their firms for success
Most AEC leadership teams are fastidious about tracking their hit rate–the number of proposals submitted minus the number of proposals won. Here are three alternatives for increasing that percentage. SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | Jul 30, 2014
How one small architecture firm improved cash flow using ArchiOffice
Foreman Seeley Fountain Architecture not only managed to survive the Great Recession, it has positioned itself to thrive in the economy’s recovery.
| Jul 16, 2014
Learning design fundamentals in the digital age – How to balance learning and technology
My colleague and I were once asked an insightful question by a Civil Engineering Professor that sparked an interesting conversation. He’d been told about our software by some of his students who had used it during their summer internship. SPONSORED CONTENT
