Mitsubishi Electric and leading thermal simulation software developer Environmental Design Solutions Limited (EDSL) have been working together to deliver an advanced software package that will help designers, developers, installers and building operators see the direct energy implications of the type of heating, cooling and ventilation equipment they choose to install.
ESDL’s Tas (Thermal Analysis Simulation) software is already widely respected amongst architects, specifiers and designers because it offers a highly intuitive interface that accurately analyses and predicts the thermal properties of a building’s design and will accurately predict the on-going energy consumption of individual buildings, based on real and localised weather data throughout the year’s varied climactic conditions.
The two companies have now come together to add the detailed performance data for the majority of Mitsubishi Electric’s air conditioning and heating products into the Tas software. This now means that designers will be able to see the direct impact on energy of choosing actual systems and configurations, with the software including exact model details. The end results will also be accurate and robust enough to adhere to building energy labelling requirements.
“Mitsubishi Electric was completely transparent with the performance data given to us to include in the Tas programme which was an essential requirement in providing the accurate modelling and simulation results that our customers have come to rely on,” explains Alan Jones, EDSL’s Managing Director.
Accurate modelling
At the same time, Mitsubishi Electric is releasing an update to its own popular Audit Tool software to enable customers to see the direct benefits of upgrading older air conditioning equipment.
“Both of these pieces of software give building designers the tools to accurately demonstrate the energy levels that individual equipment will have on a building,” comments Martin Fahey, Sustainable Solutions Manager for Mitsubishi Electric. “This then allows installers and end users to clearly see the relative performance impact that one product or configuration can have over another.”
The Audit Tool demonstrates the energy and carbon saving potential of removing old air conditioning and upgrading it to modern, inverter-driven systems. The software will also clearly demonstrate when it makes sense to stick with existing equipment for the time being by highlighting the immediate and long-term financial benefits of upgrading or not.
Industry success for Renewable Obligation
Schneider Electric has welcomed the news that the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has u-turned on its proposals to remove Renewable Obligation (RO) support for smaller scale renewable energy developments.
“It is refreshing to see that UK government is listening to businesses operating within the market place and responding effectively”, said Darren Farrar, Customer Marketing Manager at Schneider Electric. “The renewable energy industry is a growth sector for the UK and it’s important that the government continues to support and nurture it.”
Support mechanism
The government had originally proposed to exclude small scale solar, anaerobic digestion, onshore wind and hydro power installations, sized between 50kW and 5MW, from the RO and instead use the Feed-in-Tariff as the support mechanism. The issue of funding is a crucial one as the FiT actually delivers lower funding than the RO and therefore could potentially inhibit growth and investment in some of these technology areas.
Crucially however, government listened to industry and as Greg Barker, Energy and Climate Change Minister said: “Now is not the time to make further changes to these schemes.”
Darren continued: “We can only hope that this is a sign of things to come and that government has truly turned a page with regards to supporting the renewable energy market place. Industry has been campaigning for some time for clarity in the system to ensure continued investment and this is a step in the right direction.
“We’re well aware of the changes afoot with regards to the Energy Market Reform and Contracts for Difference in 2017 but for the time being, the announcement gives industry the clarity that it needs to continue to invest.”