ENERGY MODELING AT EACH DESIGN PHASE: STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE DESIGN ENERGY USE

The document outlines how energy modeling can be transformed from a late-stage accounting tool into a strategic design driver. It advocates for an integrated design process where modelers engage from the concept phase to influence fundamental decisions on building size, orientation, and passive loads. By utilizing 'theoretical minimum' energy models and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), modelers can provide economic justifications for efficiency measures, potentially reducing both first costs and lifetime energy consumption.

• Energy modeling is frequently misused as a mere "accounting or code compliance tool" for LEED documentation, which causes design teams to overlook significant opportunities to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
• An integrated design process shifts the distribution of effort, requiring the design team to spend more time in earlier phases to reduce last-minute changes and budgeting crises.
• In the concept phase, modelers should establish a "theoretical minimum" energy use—the lowest technically possible energy use using current technology—to shift the design conversation from incremental improvements to fundamental design challenges.
• Effective energy reduction follows a specific chronological order: defining needs, identifying appropriate measures, reducing loads through passive design, planning system layouts, selecting efficient technology, optimizing operation, seeking synergies, and exploring alternative power.
• During schematic design, modelers should use Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and analyze "packages of measures" rather than isolated ones to demonstrate how high-performance features can reduce capital costs by allowing the downsizing or elimination of mechanical equipment.
• The design development phase should focus on defending against value engineering by updating energy and LCCA models, optimizing control strategies, and verifying that thermal comfort and indoor air quality criteria are met.

APA

Tupper, K., & Fluhrer, C. (n.d.). ENERGY MODELING AT EACH DESIGN PHASE: STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE DESIGN ENERGY USE. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-27_EnergyModelingDesignPhase.pdf

Chicago

Tupper, Kendra, and Caroline Fluhrer. ENERGY MODELING AT EACH DESIGN PHASE: STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE DESIGN ENERGY USE. RMI, n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-27_EnergyModelingDesignPhase.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tupper |first1=Kendra |last2=Fluhrer |first2=Caroline |title=ENERGY MODELING AT EACH DESIGN PHASE: STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE DESIGN ENERGY USE |publisher=RMI |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-27_EnergyModelingDesignPhase.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tupperndenergy, author = {Tupper, Kendra and Fluhrer, Caroline}, title = {{ENERGY MODELING AT EACH DESIGN PHASE: STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE DESIGN ENERGY USE}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2010-27_EnergyModelingDesignPhase.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }