To help architects and consultants deliver low maintenance, energy efficient designs within the built environment, building performance analysis specialist IES and Monodraught are launching the first Performance Component at Ecobuild 2012

The use of building performance analysis has grown extensively in the last 10 years, driven by the development of computer simulation and legislative requirements to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. Whilst Monodraught pioneered the WINDCATCHER^® natural ventilation system over twenty years ago, until recently, modelling this type of wind tower natural ventilation system was considered time consuming and complicated. The new WINDCATCHER Performance Component for the IESVE (Virtual Environment) changes all this.

At present, architects and consultants find it difficult to verify the improvements achieved within their buildings, and therefore understand the true environmental impact of the WINDCATCHER systems. Conventional modelling of wind tower systems involves constructing a 3D representation and assigning each face with a performance factor to identify its ability to catch the air. Assigning such parameters is often difficult and time consuming.

In an ideal world, Monodraught envisaged true 3D component representations of their systems being dragged easily from a product library/catalogue onto a building model constructed within the 3D environment. The performance and energy savings would then be assessed in an open and transparent process, building confidence in the application of WINDCATCHER natural ventilation systems and demonstrating the potential and capabilities of natural and hybrid ventilation schemes. The 3D component would have the full representation of shape, texture and colour, with performance characteristics already assigned.

IES, creators of the VE (Virtual Environment) Suite, was the partner of choice to implement Monodraught’s vision. As a global provider of building analysis and simulation software, IES had the expertise to transform this vision into the WINDCATCHER Performance Component Module, the first to be launched as part of their new Performance Components library within its award winning VE software. The WINDCATCHER Component lives up to the original concept exactly, and further develops it with many additional features that enhance user operation and ease of design.