Has anyone else noticed that the last few months have brought some interesting new trends to the industry? This has also been evident given the inquiries here at Energy-models.com. (I should probably follow up on some of the trends that are changing in the building simulation community- yes, I am a data nerd). While our typical support request is usually a request to rectify some error or anomaly, the last few months have seen a slight change. Our number 1 inquiry has been for “taking over” an existing project, and we have simply not been able to accommodate these requests. We have tried to help where we can, which has often meant sending someone a referral. The trouble is that we only know so many people who we feel confident in sending a project to. All in all, I believe we referred over 20 different projects in 2014. Some people have been baffled by this, wondering how we can “give away” clients. Our response is that they were never our clients to give away and the one time I was asked directly about our 'business plan', having referred a prospect to someone I had never met (but had been referred to), I responded that I believe in karmic retribution :D
Per the many phone calls and emails, we think it is clear that most of us are not very visible to the people looking to find us. Moreover, we have found that people are looking for a single point of contact (an individual) but are also looking for reputable companies. Unfortunately, a lot of the people that call with such request are calling because they are in a time crunch, making referrals very difficult.
Let’s say you or your company got really busy and you had to recommend an energy-modeler for a client? What criteria would you pick?
I read an article a few years back about how energy-modeling was inaccurate. I disagreed with a lot of the articles premise, but not the energy-nerd’s conclusion. The article failed to specify that they were talking about residential energy modeling, which I thought was a cheap shot, because it is easier to miss the mark on poorly controlled buildings. My biggest problem with the article was that it blamed the software. I have a saying: If you want to blame the software, please consult a mirror first.
The software packages are not the main problem. Not even close. Barking up that tree is the calling card of someone who just wants to bitch about energy-modeling. I can tell you that if somebody’s primary complaint is the software, they are poorly educated within the building energy model field.
Considering that back story, I decided to add my 2 cents. So here are 5 cold hard truths about energy-modeling, from someone who promotes energy-modeling:
Why are the software packages so limited?
Cold hard truth: Corporate self interest limits the software.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em - Efficient light bulbs are the future. CFL’s (Squiggly bulbs) & LED’s claim to save a lot of energy and last a lot longer than conventional bulbs. They are the biggest things since, well, errr... the light bulb. (which was invented BEFORE the automobile)
Needless to say, these new products are not without controversy. And, some people simply hate change, and thus, there is a lot of criticism about Energy Efficient bulbs.
The primary question we want to address is, do these bulbs actually pay for themselves? Check out the video and find out! [Note: the purpose of the video is not to promote CFL's or LED's, but to show the value of an energy-model!]
By the way, do YOU want to run an energy model? Sign up for our highly praised “getting started Package” and start running your own evaluations using FREE software! If you aren't doing energy models, you aren't making informed decisions.
