Projects
EcoMender's project functionality enables rapid creation of new projects based on ready-made templates or previously created projects. The project view provides a clear overview of all projects, and the application guides the user in selecting calculation parameters based on project type.
- Manage and create new projects easily using ready-made templates.
- Dedicated project types for new buildings and existing buildings.
- Project wizard guides you in project definition depending on project type.
- In each view, you have access to clear functionality-specific instructions and automation features that help you select the correct input data – quickly.
- We have included excerpts from laws, regulations, and calculation guidelines in the instructions to make using the service as easy as possible.
EcoMender provides comprehensive tools for preparing energy efficiency calculations for all building types.
Structures
EcoMender offers versatile tools for determining energy efficiency considering different structure types, such as solid wood structures and semi-heated spaces. Structure definition is easy, and the system automatically calculates energy needs based on structure type characteristics.
- In each structure type category (AP, US, YP, IKK, OVI), properties affecting the energy efficiency of structure types are defined, such as thermal transmittance (U-value).
- US and AP structure types can be defined from their outer surface to connect to outdoor air, crawl space, or against ground. For windows, g-value and curtain and frame coefficients are also defined.
- Free energy obtained through glazing of doors with light openings, such as balcony doors, can be utilized in calculations.
- Structure type-specifically, design temperatures can be adjusted or the structure type can be defined as a semi-heated space structure.
- Building components belonging to each structure type can be defined in detail, and transferring building components from one structure type to another is easy.
- Building component areas can be entered either according to actual dimensions or directly as areas.
- Window and door areas are automatically subtracted from related structures (US and YP).
- Consider the effect of thermal bridges either specifically for each thermal bridge or by using an automatically calculated 10% share in existing buildings.
- Thermal bridge lengths and design temperatures for windows and doors are determined automatically based on building components.
- Calculates the heating energy requirement from building envelope air leakage based on q50 or n50 values, automatically considering the envelope area and leakage air temperature.
EcoMender makes calculating structural energy efficiency accurate and user-friendly.
Ventilation
EcoMender enables energy efficiency calculation for both mechanical and natural ventilation, including partial natural ventilation. For mechanical ventilation, multiple air handling units can be added and comprehensive parameters defined, such as airflows, heat recovery unit characteristics, and post-heater energy source. Demand-controlled ventilation calculation is also supported.
- Supports calculation for mechanical and natural ventilation.
- Airflows, operating schedules, temperatures, and SFP values can be defined per unit.
- For heat recovery, operating schedule, temperature ratio, type, and frost protection can be defined. The annual efficiency of exhaust air heat recovery is calculated automatically.
- The post-heater can be connected as part of the building's main heating system (e.g., heat pumps) or defined as an electric resistance.
EcoMender provides a flexible and detailed solution for accurate determination of ventilation energy impacts.
Heating and Domestic Hot Water
EcoMender offers versatile tools for calculating energy consumption of space heating, ventilation, and domestic hot water systems. The system supports all common heat production methods and various heat pump-based hybrid systems.
- Supports all heat production methods and hybrid systems.
- Flexible heat pump calculation method enables quick and accurate calculation. It supports calculation of coefficient of performance and energy coverage as well as accurate calculation based on heat pump performance values. If needed, space heating and domestic hot water heating can be calculated separately.
- Enables detailed yet fast definition of multiple parallel heat distribution and emission systems.
- Multiple auxiliary heaters, such as air-source heat pumps and heat-storing fireplaces, can be defined. Electric comfort floor heating in wet rooms is easily considered with the tool.
- Domestic hot water system calculation considers, among other things, pressure management systems, storage tank heat losses, and hot water circulation system energy consumption. Auxiliary device electricity consumption and heat load on spaces can be defined in detail.
- Calculation includes heat losses and loads from distribution piping and storage tanks.
EcoMender enables accurate and flexible calculation of heating and domestic hot water system energy consumption for different needs.
Self-Sufficiency Energy
EcoMender enables consideration of self-sufficiency energies, such as solar panels and solar collectors, production and use in energy calculations. The user can review production distribution on a monthly level and calculate the impact of self-sufficiency energies on building energy efficiency.
- Enables definition of multiple different solar panel and collector fields with detailed properties, such as orientation, tilt, and total efficiency. Production calculation can be done based on either area or nominal power (kWp).
- Self-sufficiency systems' total production, building's utilized share, and surplus can be reviewed on a monthly level by consumption point and production system.
- Energy produced by solar electricity systems can be utilized in all consumption points using electricity, such as for producing heating energy for heating systems and electricity for their auxiliary devices, lighting, and user equipment.
- Opportunity to create improvement proposals based on solar electricity or solar collector systems to improve energy efficiency.
EcoMender helps optimize self-sufficiency energy production and use, making it an effective tool for planning more sustainable energy solutions.
Scenarios
EcoMender's scenarios enable creation of alternative structural and building service solutions and evaluation of their impacts on building energy efficiency and regulatory requirements in just minutes. Scenarios are dynamic and update with project changes, making them a flexible tool for optimizing energy efficiency in both new and existing buildings.
- Scenarios automatically adapt to project's active choices – comparison is fast and accurate.
- Enables testing of alternative solutions and preparation of improvement proposals for the benefit of the building's entire lifecycle.
- Opportunity to target changes to either all resources or individual objects, such as air handling units or structure types.
- Improvement proposals presented in the energy certificate are created automatically based on scenarios. It guides new builders to select the most energy-efficient solutions for their building.
- Review the scenario's key results and create printouts directly based on the scenario. You can also create a new project based on a scenario with one button press.
- Include scenarios as part of project templates so they are available even faster.
EcoMender's scenarios provide an efficient and flexible way to analyze and optimize building energy efficiency with different solutions.
Results
In EcoMender, all calculation results update automatically as you make changes to the project. You see impacts on regulatory requirements compliance in real-time. Results are presented clearly in tables and graphs, but also in detail, which helps understand the impacts of different building parts and systems on energy efficiency.
- Formation of net energy requirement for heating and cooling and load utilization reviewed on a monthly level.
- Review of energy distribution and production systems as well as self-sufficiency energies and purchased energy requirement on a monthly level calculated according to both standard calculation and design values.
- Self-sufficiency energies' total production, utilization, and surplus.
- Purchased energy requirement distributed by primary energy.
- E-number, E-class, and demonstration of new construction requirement level.
- Opportunity to review space, ventilation, and domestic hot water heating shares separately.
- Visibility into purchased energy requirement formation by energy source.
EcoMender provides an intuitive and informative way to review building energy efficiency calculation results from different perspectives, both at main level and in detail – also for scenarios.
Reports and Integrations
EcoMender produces all reports meeting regulatory requirements, such as energy reports and energy certificates, according to current legislation easily as PDF files. It offers integration for transferring energy certificates to ARA's energy certificate register and map integration, through which you can search for, among other things, buildings' address and identification information directly from the National Land Survey register.
- Energy reports and energy certificates for new and existing buildings are prepared according to current legislation, and required attachments are determined automatically.
- Heat loss equalization calculation also covers exceptional cases, such as recreational residences.
- All printouts can be viewed and edited in PDF format directly in the application without separate download.
- Automatic transfer of energy certificates to ARA's energy certificate register and replacement of existing energy certificates.
- Search for building information (location, address, VTJ-PRT, etc.) via map view from the National Land Survey's (MML) official register.
From EcoMender, you get all printouts meeting regulatory requirements easily with a button press. Through integrations, you save time and ensure data correctness.
