Our expertise · Building Performance & Engineering

Energy Modeling

Turn design and retrofit choices into a comparison your team can act on.

An energy model is a comparison, not a forecast: it puts two versions of the same building, a baseline and a proposed design, under identical weather, schedules and assumptions, so the difference between them is the effect of your choices and nothing else. That is why a model can support a design decision, a code pathway, a certification or an incentive, and why it never promises a utility bill. Green Summit develops residential, multifamily and commercial energy models for design decisions, retrofit evaluation, compliance, incentives and performance analysis. We connect geometry, systems, schedules, utility information and field observations with documented assumptions, so your team understands both the results and their limits.

Licensed engineering firm
RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221
Founded 2014
Audit-ready documentation

Who this is for

Developers, owners, design and construction teams, housing providers, public institutions, program administrators, HERS raters and manufacturers who need a building's options compared on the same terms before anyone commits to one.

Affordable Housing & Housing Authorities Builders, Contractors & Design Teams Building Owners, Investors & Operators Government & Public Institutions HERS Raters & Energy Auditors Manufacturers & Technology Companies Real Estate Developers Tribal Nations & Tribal Organizations Utilities & Energy Program Administrators

What we do

Establish baseline conditions. We develop the existing-building or reference-building model the pathway calls for and identify the information that supports every input.
Compare design and retrofit options. We evaluate system and envelope alternatives and the interaction between proposed improvements, so a measure is never credited twice.
Support the required pathway. We use the methods and tools the governing code, rating, certification or rebate program accepts, because a result the reviewer cannot accept is not a result.
Review and update the model. We incorporate utility calibration, design changes or as-built information as the project moves, and we document every material assumption.

Our process

Define the decision or compliance pathway the model must support, and the acceptance requirements that come with it.
Collect the project information and resolve the input gaps that would change the answer.
Develop, review and explain the analysis and its limitations to the people who will rely on it.

What you receive

Baseline and proposed models, comparison results, assumption records and supporting reports. We select the software and methodology for the project; one tool is not automatically appropriate for every program, and we tell you when a pathway requires a different one.

Benefits

Comparable scenarios built from documented inputs and assumptions.
A technical record that supports design, compliance or incentive decisions within the method it was built for.
Results explained with their limits, so no one reuses a code model as proof of an unrelated requirement.

Why Green Summit

Green Summit is a consulting partner delivering end-to-end compliance solutions in building performance, specialty tax credits and incentives and advisory services. Our engineers, modelers and field professionals connect the analysis to installed conditions and to the decision you need to make; as a licensed engineering firm and RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221, we model residential and commercial buildings for the pathways that will actually review them.

The work can stand alone or feed a coordinated assessment, implementation and verification scope, and the assumption record is built to be audit-ready from day one.

Frequently asked questions

What is energy modeling?

Energy modeling is the simulation of a building's energy use from its geometry, envelope, systems, schedules and climate. A model compares a baseline or reference building with a proposed design or retrofit under the same assumptions, so the difference isolates the effect of your choices. Teams use it for design decisions, retrofit evaluation, code compliance, ratings and certifications, incentive documentation and performance analysis.

Which software do you use?

The tool depends on the purpose and the acceptance requirements of the program reviewing the result. Our work includes eQUEST, EnergyGauge and Snugg Pro, applied where each fits, along with project-specific methods.

Can measured utility data be used?

Yes, where it is suitable. Utility information can inform calibration or comparison, and data quality and the required modeling method determine how we use it.

Does a model guarantee actual savings?

No. Actual performance depends on installation, operation, weather, occupancy and other conditions the model holds constant. Measurement and verification evaluates outcomes after the improvements are in place.

Can one model serve code, certification and incentives?

Some inputs can be reused, but each purpose may require a different baseline, software, procedure or documentation. We define the intended uses early so the analysis is never reused, incorrectly, as proof of an unrelated requirement.

What happens when the design changes?

Any change to the envelope, systems, schedules or selected equipment needs a review for its effect on the results, and we perform that review. We also identify who is responsible for revisions and the point at which an as-built update is required.

Let's model the decision in front of you.

Tell us the project, where it is, what stage it is in and what the model needs to support: a design choice, a code pathway, a certification or an incentive.