Sefaira Introduces First Real-Time Energy Analysis Software for Building Design

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM and NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Oct 30, 2013) - Sefaira, the leader in software for high performance building design, today announced Sefaira for SketchUp, a SketchUp plugin that provides architects with real-time energy analysis without leaving their native design environment. Sefaira for SketchUp's interface shows at a glance how a design is performing, and helps designers connect the dots between building design and energy use while guiding them towards the best measures for enhanced performance. It requires no expertise in energy modelling, and performance-enhancing decisions about form, orientation and façade design can be made in seconds.

Sefaira for SketchUp delivers immediate and constant feedback on a design's energy use, including information about the elements of design that are most responsible for poor performance, all directly in SketchUp while the architect is designing. The energy flows graph details the end uses of energy such as heating, cooling, lighting and appliances. It also shows graphically the heat gains and losses from the building, enabling the designer to make the right decisions and attain building performance targets.

Leading Architecture Firms Validate Sefaira for SketchUp
Over the course of the development period, Sefaira has made Sefaira for SketchUp available to a group of early adopters for usability testing.

"We can't think of a reason why we shouldn't be using Sefaira for SketchUp on every project from day one," said Till Scherer from AWW Architects. "Being responsible for rolling out our innovative approach to sustainability called Performance Driven Design, I am excited that Sefaira for SketchUp will allow all our architects to fully understand the implications of their design decisions in real time, helping to deliver truly sustainable solutions from inception. Sefaira for SketchUp allows the designers to analyse their ideas and explore realistic alternatives, all without lengthy meetings or costly iterations."

"That instant feedback we get with Sefaira for SketchUp is what we've been waiting for," said Jennifer Preston from BKSK Architects. "Now designers can finally test performance over various iterations. To ask for a building simulation to test even three or four scenarios on a facade has always been prohibitively expensive. Now it's something that can happen so fluidly that we can do hundreds of tests if we want to -- in the matter of a day."

Sefaira for SketchUp Enables Architects to Create High Performance Buildings
Sefaira CEO Mads Jensen said, "Our vision is that every architect conducts performance analysis right from the start and that building performance becomes a key design driver on the same level as aesthetics and building functionality. Our customers tell us that the biggest historical challenge has been the need to leave their native CAD environment and change their design process when doing energy analysis. Sefaira for SketchUp is an immersive tool that makes performance analysis an intuitive part of the design process, not forcing the architect to add complexity to the process, but seamlessly integrating performance analysis in the process the architect is already using." 

Availability
Sefaira for SketchUp is now available to Sefaira customers and is the first in a series of exciting announcements from Sefaira. For more information and to see Sefaira for SketchUp in action, visit www.sefaira.com/sefaira-for-sketchup.

About Sefaira
Founded in 2009, Sefaira produces cloud-based energy efficiency software to help architects design high performing buildings. Using Sefaira, architects and other building designers can analyze and compare multiple building strategies within a fraction of the time and cost previously required. This includes defining, quantifying, and optimizing the energy, water, carbon and financial benefits of relevant design strategies.

Sefaira has been named to the 2013 Global Cleantech 100, the 2013 Red Herring Top 100 Europe, the 2013 European Business Award's "They Could Be Giants," and the 2012 Going Green Global Top 200 private companies. The company also won Gold at the 2013 Ecosummit award in Berlin as well as the "Green Building Innovation of the Year" award at London's Ecobuild in 2011. It is also a 2013 Red Herring 100 Global Award finalist. Sefaira has offices in London and New York.

SketchUp is a registered trademark of Trimble Navigation Inc. Sefaira is a registered trademark of Sefaira Ltd. All rights reserved.