Predicting the energy performance of a new building is a complicated project. Computer-based energy simulations are carried out routinely for large institutional-scale projects, but they require expertise with complex software and days (or weeks) of data input. Such an effort has generally been too expensive and time-consuming for homes or small commercial buildings. But not anymore. A new software package for personal computers, Energy-10, puts detailed building energy analysis within the reach of any residential designer. With Energy-10 software, the analyses that used to take weeks now take a few hours. Equipped with an extensive database of climate data for hundreds of North American locations, Energy-10 enables builders anywhere on the continent to easily design homes that use 30% to 70% less
