A  free app for members of the design and construction community in Ontario called the energyCompass.design tool – Compass for short – officially launched Nov. 7, 2018. The platform aims to streamline energy benchmarking and reporting during the design phase of building development projects.

“Previously, data available through energy simulation studies has not been leveraged en masse to analyze performance trends or to benchmark similar buildings to improve energy performance,” said Mike Williams, principal at RWDI in a press release.

Compass translates the extensive data of building energy simulation models into easily understood graphic presentations, like ecoMetrics ( launched by Diamond Schmitt Architects and developed in conjunction with RWDI). The intention of both tools is to improve energy literacy and inform green building design towards a zero-carbon future.

“The design and construction industry is almost exclusively comprised of small companies and we are tasked with trying to solve some of this generation’s biggest problems, such as climate change,” Williams said. “Our thesis with Compass is that if we can find ways to begin to share data, effectively working together, we will be able to develop real solutions faster.

Funding for the benchmarking initiative was provided by The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) and the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO).

Visit energyCompass.design to learn more about the tool.