New Weather Data Helps Designers Improve Building Energy Analysis and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

PHOENIX — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 10, 2009 — Greenbuild Expo 2009 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, has announced that its Autodesk Green Building Studio web-based service now provides more recently documented hourly weather data for 1.6 million virtual weather locations around the world. The previous version of the Autodesk Green Building Studio service supported 55,000 locations of weather data for North America and Northern Europe. The new version adds virtual weather locations for Central and Southern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, Philippines and South Korea.

Green Building Studio is an online software-as-a-service (SaaS) application, which is also available to subscribers of Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 software during the term of their Subscription. The web-based service helps architects and designers working within a building information modeling ( BIM) process to perform whole-building energy and water analysis, optimize efficiency and work toward carbon neutrality earlier in the design process. With faster, more accurate performance analysis of building design proposals, architects and designers can evaluate sustainability earlier in the process and build more energy-efficient buildings.

"Architects and building engineers working on new projects or renovations have a unique opportunity to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and in so doing address the climate change crisis," said John Kennedy, senior manager, sustainable analysis products for Autodesk AEC Solutions. "To do this effectively, building professionals must pay close attention to designing for specific local climatic conditions. Giving our users access to a huge data set of hourly, site-specific and more relevant weather information represents a significant step forward.”

The previous version of the Autodesk Green Building Studio service supported weather locations mainly based on large airport sites. The 1.6 million virtual weather locations now supported by the service are located no more than 8.8 miles (14 km) from any given project location covered by the new data set. The new virtual weather locations were developed using weather data from a variety of government and other public sources, such as airports, ocean or river buoys, and aircraft and satellite readings. An observations-based physics model ( mesoscale meteorological model) was then generated for each region.

“As the largest green builder in the United States, we are firmly committed to supporting our clients’ sustainability goals,” said James P. Barrett, national director, virtual design and construction for Turner Construction Company. “The use of Autodesk Ecotect and Green Building Studio, particularly during the preconstruction phase when detailed building performance analysis and evaluation are critical, enhances our ability to successfully deliver a green building to our clients. The increase in virtual weather location data enhances our whole-building energy analysis for our clients on new or renovation projects. It helps us better project not only initial costs, but also lifecycle costs for a more comprehensive view of a facility’s total cost of ownership.”

BIM is an integrated process for exploring a project’s key physical and functional characteristics digitally before it is built. Coordinated, consistent information is used throughout the process to design innovative projects and conduct analysis from the earliest stages. This enables better visualization and simulation of real-world appearance, performance and cost. Adopting a BIM process also makes it possible to prepare accurate documentation and deliver projects faster and more economically, while minimizing environmental impact.

Availability

Access to the 1.6 million virtual weather location data set is available now to subscribers of Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 during the term of their Subscription.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies -- as well as the last 14 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality, and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Ecotect and Green Building Studio are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact:

Autodesk, Inc.
Paul Sullivan, 603-289-8987
Email Contact
or
Randi Tanguay, 617-694-0333
Email Contact