Energy efficiency when building houses is one of the concerns of architects and engineers to protect the environment. Given this, the Ekotrope company decided to create software based on algorithms to predict energy use in a building without the need for a long and time-consuming study. Through its system you can know which are the most suitable materials for construction, what is the environmental impact of the home and, above all, if it complies with official regulations.
For 10 years, the Ekotrope company has worked to improve the process of building energy-efficient houses together with engineers and architects. His method was initially inspired by an energy optimization and material saving system created for NASA. This software was developed by Ed Crawley, professor of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and co-founder of Ekotrope.
Crawley’s software brings together systems used by builders, energy efficiency rating agencies, and utilities to determine material costs in home design. Thus, home builders can use the Ekotrope system to assess the energy efficiency of a new home and its impact on the environment. In this way, the software can legally certify, in accordance with local regulations, energy efficiency.
“If a builder wants to participate in an energy efficiency program, they submit a file that could take months to get a response, they would make corrections and many hands would touch that file,” explained Ekotrope co-founder and CEO Ziv Rozenblum. Likewise, Rozenblum pointed out, with the algorithm developed by his company, such accreditation can be granted instantly by solving obstacles through software. Through this process, Ekotrope has certified more than half a million homes and is used in US construction in one out of every five new homes in the United States.
According to the company, its software can evaluate various issues regarding the energy efficiency of houses to be built. Be it energy insulation, heating and cooling systems, as well as the use of solar panels on the roof to the type of light bulbs to be used. This is how Ekotrope can work together with the builders and obtain a thorough planning of the materials to be used and what type of energy efficiency the new home will need according to local standards.
With this prediction system through algorithms, the energy efficiency of new houses can be predicted more safely and quickly. By avoiding paperwork and a slow process, caring for the environment can have greater acceptance among consumers and thus be used by more builders in the world.
