Can Revit do the Energy Modeling according to LEED requirements

[Anonymous]

 I wanna do the energy modeling according to the LEED requirements. But I'm not sure it's possible or not. Because LEED requires minimum, hourly analysis for whole year in space heating, space cooling, interior lighting, exterior lighting, interior fans, heat rejection, pumps etc. I can do this model with Carrier HAP. 

Please answer if you know detailed information about it. 

Thanks.

[rudi.roux]

Hi @Anonymous, 

Welcome to the community! 

To give you a short answer, that would be yes. If the USGBC is confident enough to post it on their website, then yes. Combined with Green Building Studio. Are you familiar with Autodesk's FREE Building Performance Analysis Course? 

I hope this helps! 

[Anonymous]

 Hi Mr. Rudi

I cannot find the rocess of registering to the free course you are talking about

[Anonymous]

@rudi.roux 

@Anonymous 

I find this question still valid. The course of Whole Building Energy Analysis with Revit is not available anymore in the USGBC website, and no similar courses or training found available either in the usgbc.org or other energy modeling websites. Therefore I would love to reactivate this post and repeat the question; Can Revit do the Energy Modeling according to LEED requirements and approved by the USGBC?

Thanks.

[HVAC-Novice]

You should check with USGBC which software is approved. It doesn't matter what A-desk, or we think, it matters what the LEED people think is approved. 

Same way DoE has specific approved software they accept for energy tax credit calculations. 

With the lack of detail and accuracy you have in Revit load and energy simulation, I find it hard to believe it would be approved. 

[Anonymous]

@HVAC-Novice 

Have you made sure by yourself that Autodesk Revit lacks details and accuracy in terms of energy analysis? Or it is just a word of mouth and an old reputation  of earlier versions of Revit? 

Please advise on this because it is very important to me since Autodesk says something else and I have to determine the most proper workflow to follow to reduce my energy modeling learning timeline 

Please have a look at this article:

https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/articles/autodesk-brings-detailed-energyplus-hvac-simulation-r...

[HVAC-Novice]

where does Adesk say their simulation is LEED approved? What you linked is from DoE, not from USGBC. 

I have to ask, did you ever do a en energy simulation for a LEED project? Among other things you need to show how your model compares to an ASHRAE 90.1 building. There is nothing in Revit that let's you do that. you also need to compare the building if you turn in it in different directions. There also is no option to detail HVAC systems. 

Same goes for the Load calculation in Revit. It is schematic at best. 

[Anonymous]

@HVAC-Novice 

Did I say that Autodesk said their simulation is LEED approved? Actually this was the question I asked in my earliest comment in this thread.
I am discussing the accuracy matter as you said that Revit lacks details and accuracy. I sent you a link for an article stating the contrary of what you said. Energy analysis by Revit is now more detailed and accurate as per the article. 
Now I repeat the question (which is the subject of this thread and not well answered yet), after the latest development of Revit energy analysis tool, Can Revit do the Energy Modeling according to LEED requirements?

[Anonymous]

As the article states the new analysis tools in Revit are much more detailed.  I have been doing energy models for LEED documentation using Open Studio with Sketchup.  Since Revit is now using the same Open Studio tools, I believe it is creating the same reports as Open Studio would on its own.  If that is the case, you should be able to use Revit for Leed Modeling.

However, as mentioned in a previous post, you must also create a baseline model.  This could be quite time consuming in Revit.  In fact, the Revit model for energy can also be time consuming.

For now, I will continue to use Open Studio with Sketchup for LEED documentation.

[Anonymous]

Thanks @Anonymous for your feedback which I don't know how did I miss it. 

Have you tried doing the energy model with Revit during these months or you still working with Open Studio and Sketchup?

[Anonymous]

I Have not pursued using Revit for the modeling yet.

[HVAC-Novice]

Sorry for re-surrecting an old thread. I just came across this thread since I was wondering if I should renew our Trane trace 3D license. Is there an approved option to use Revit to get a LEED-approved energy simulation? I saw a USGB document that lists the requirements, but not the actually certified software. Ultimately it doesn't matter what we think of Revit if USGB doesn't approve. 

I haven't done a LEED simulation yet, but we as a company do mostly LEED projects. first 2 missing features I think are the ability to do an ASHRAE 90.1 base building and the lack of all the detailed HVAC options. Revit seems more to be a schematic design tool and less for the final detailed energy details. 

[robert2JCCH]

From a product-agnostic standpoint, I would agree that you should renew a third-party energy simulation tool.

The two points you've stated are already sufficient reasons, but to add to that there are some Appendix G items (I'm thinking infiltration which was added in 2016 and demand control load factor reduction from 2016 as well) that are very simple to incorporate into Trace/HAP/etc. but not so much in Revit. I'm also unsure of if/how Revit would incorporate CO2 emissions comparisons into the fold which is a LEED v4.1 requirement.

My brief stint into Autodesk Insight led me to think that Autodesk could be fully capable of Baseline/Proposed/Rotation comparison if there was manpower committed to that work, but that requires personnel keeping up with implementing 90.1/App.G. changes every 3 years into the engine and based on how we're still catching up on normalized MEP design features (like can we please get branch plumbing lines that aren't autosized to 15 GPM due to the fixture unit chart?), it's doubtful that this would hit the roadmap.