Abstract

To create a stronger economy and a cleaner environment for Minnesota, an energy design assistance service was introduced to the community, after piloting at the University of Minnesota, to engineer rapid changes in design and construction practices. The Energy Assets Design Assistance program provides information to owners and designers, early in the design process, combining computer simulation of designs with an implementation-verification process from construction document review through on-site monitoring. For each project, the process evaluates approximately 70 alternative strategies without compromising the original design aesthetics.