The core of the <Virtual Environment>, VE-Pro is IES’ most powerful, most flexible and most in-depth suite of building performance analysis tools.
Powerful Central Integration
A variety of different interconnected modules are available so users can build the suite which meets their needs. Capabilities across energy/carbon, light/daylighting, solar, UK compliance, value/cost, CFD, egress and mechanical categories are covered.
A central integrated data model allows analysis results and model data to be easily shared amongst applications for productivity gains, and to further inform and refine simulations. It contains information on geometry, materials, occupancy, climate and equipment.
Easy Model Import
Interconnectivity with BIM/CAD programs ensures 2D/3D models can be easily imported, using gbXML/DXF capabilities, plug-ins to Revit® and SketchUp™, or our tight connectivity with ArchiCAD®. Models can also be created from scratch within the IES ModelIT application
NEW Navigator Capabilities
‘VE-Gaia style’ smart workflow Navigator functionality is now available as an add-on for VE-Pro; offering users additional technical capabilities, enhanced visual/interactive reporting, QA functionality and extra guidance.
Energy/Carbon
VE-Pro offers the most comprehensive suite of whole-building energy, thermal and carbon emission analysis tools on the market. It enables the interrelated dynamics of a building and its surroundings to be assessed so designers can understand the effectiveness of a building and its energy systems right from the earliest stages of design – quickly and easily.
ApacheSim – Fast, accurate dynamic thermal simulation for energy/carbon modelling and much more...
ApacheCalc – Heat loss/gain calculations using CIBSE procedures to determine design heating/cooling loads
ApacheLoads – Design heating/cooling loads calculations using ASHRAE Heat Balance Method
ApacheHVAC – works in conjunction with ApacheSim to provide effective modelling of conventional/advanced HVAC systems, operation and control
MacroFlo – works in conjunction with ApacheSim to provide bulk airflow analysis for passive/hybrid ventilation system design and simulation
UK Compliance
Within the <VE Compliance> set of tools IES is unique in offering energy conservation regulation software for all regions of the UK and Republic of Ireland. Accredited by the relevant Government bodies our software covers all routes for dwelling and non-dwelling compliance and creation of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Building Energy Ratings (BERs). In addition, we also offer a web-based Display Energy Certificate (DEC) application.
Users can uniquely undertake these compliance calculations directly from a SketchUp™ or Revit® model if desired, using our integrated plug-ins. Plus, as all modules share the same central 3D data model, comparison of the building by different compliance methods or by other IES tools is quick and easy enabling you to compare and contrast how meeting compliance criteria actually affects the building’s performance.
iSAP – unique 3D graphical interface to SAP2005
VE-SBEM – Free 3D interface to SBEM for all regions of the UK
VE-DSM – One of only two accredited Dynamic Simulation Model routes to UK compliance
<BER Assessor> - Republic of Ireland Building Energy Rating application
<DEC Assessor> - Free web-based Display Energy Certificate application
Light/Daylight
Quality of light − natural and artificial − dramatically influences a building's ambience and energy efficiency, as well as occupant comfort and well being. VE-Pro offers four powerful and closely-linked lighting applications for architects, engineers and lighting specialists.
Do people find it gloomy or too bright? Is glare a problem? Do I have enough natural daylight? Is there potential for daylight dimming control? With VE-Pro you can answer these questions and test how your lighting designs look and perform − overcoming difficulties before they happen.
RadianceIES –sophisticated 3D simulation of light levels using advanced ray-tracing technique, covering luminance, illuminance, daylight factors, perceived impact, photorealistic visualisation
FlucsPro – daylight and electric lighting design analysis to calculate number of luminaires required and light levels for defined schemes/planes
FlucsDL – daylight only analysis capabilities of FlucsPro to calculate light level values and daylight factors
LightPro – allows you to place and edit luminaires within a room for subsequent analysis using FlucsPro, or a detailed simulation using RadianceIES
Solar
If you can understand the impact of the sun on a building, you can make better design decisions. Do you need to minimise or maximise the effect of solar gains? What are the implications for right-to-light? What is the impact of different solar shading strategies?
With VE-Pro you can put your competitors in the shade and perform solar analyses to answer vital questions like these at any stage of the design process. In-depth visual, graphical and numerical output provides powerful tools by which to explain results to clients and planning authorities.
SunCast – advanced 3D solar analysis for a building and its site; visual, graphical and numerical outputs
Airflow CFD
VE-Pro offers Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) designed specifically for building applications, allowing the provision of capabilities such as detailed comfort predictions for room zones, fine tuning of air distribution systems or assessment of micro-climate impact on pedestrian comfort and façade design.
When predicting complex airflow in and around buildings, you need a CFD package that is easy to use, and doesn’t require you to spend a long time entering data or setting up boundary conditions. Great visual graphics should make the results easy to understand and enable effective communication with clients and the rest of the design team – this is what IES MicroFlo offers.
MicroFlo – CFD system for detailed predictions of airflow and heat transfer processes in and around building space.
Value/Cost
Value/cost analysis can bring the design team and client together. The closely linked Deft, CostPlan and Lifecycle modules within VE-Pro allow the detailed, effective and structured study of value engineering across the entire design process. A range of building performance indicators can be used to compare different design options at any stage of the process.
Taking an in-depth look at whole building life cycle costs is vitally important and can help justify sustainable design decisions based on payback periods and Return on Investment (ROI) calculations that look beyond initial capital costs of systems and measures to include annual energy bill savings and maintenance costs.
Deft – provides a comprehensive value engineering approach; enabling you to use a range of building performance indicators to compare different design options at any stage of the process
CostPlan – fast and accurate customised capital cost predictions
LifeCycle – take into account different operational costs, including capital, running, annual maintenance/replacement and calculate Net Present Value (NPV).
Egress
The effectiveness of a building is significantly increased if people can move about quickly, easily and safely. Are people hanging about waiting for lifts or queuing at bottlenecks? Is travelling between different areas too complicated? Does it take too long to evacuate the building? Such difficulties compromise safety and tempt customers to take their business elsewhere. But with the VE-Pro Egress applications, you can identify and solve these problems, making your building safer and more people-friendly.
Simulex – simulate occupant behaviour in the event of a building evacuation or other ingress/egress; identify potential problems and find solutions
Lisi – powerful, easy to use lift design and simulation tool
Mechanical
Duct and pipe sizing calculations are not difficult. But they can be time-consuming, particularly if design changes mean they have to be done again and again. Traditionally, calculations are passed backwards and forwards as adjustments are made to spreadsheets and drawings. You don't want to turn your engineers into CAD operators, but you do need to speed things up. Our Mechanical applications allow you to do just that − automating the process of drafting and sizing your mechanical systems.
IndusPro – quick and easy ductwork design including system drafting and duct sizing, with CAD integration
PiscesPro - quick and easy pipework design including system drafting and pipe sizing, with CAD integration
Model Building
Interoperability and ease of connectivity between CAD/BIM modelling tools and analysis software breaks down many of the barriers to effective utilisation of analysis for green design, especially at the early design stages. If professionals can quickly and easily undertake analysis directly from design models then feedback fits with iterations, is more effective and can facilitate the multi-disciplinary decision making of an integrated design process.
Analysis models can be developed directly within IES’ software or can be bought in using a variety of tight connectivity and import capabilities.
ModelIT – VE-Pro module for 3D geometry creation, data assignment and import functions
gbXML/DXF import – 3D/2D BIM/CAD import functionality within ModelIT
SketchUp plug-in – direct connectivity from SketchUp ‘free’ and Pro
Revit plug-in – direct connectivity from Revit Architecture and MEP
ArchiCAD connectivity – jointly developed tight gbMXL link from ArchiCAD
Price/Purchase
VE-Pro is modular and can be purchased in a variety of combinations and licence types; therefore cost depends very much upon configuration.
This degree of flexibility ensures that you have the ability to pick and chose a solution which truly offers the functionality your business requires and which fits with the structure of your company.
See the licence types page for more information, or contact our sales team to discuss your requirements.
