Top Sustainability Tools for the Building Industry

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is at a critical juncture in its mission to address climate change and decarbonize the built environment. As global urbanization rates continue to rise, the need for sustainable design and construction practices has never been more pressing. Fortunately, AEC professionals are rising to the challenge, leveraging powerful sustainability tools to guide their decision-making and deliver more energy-efficient, low-carbon projects.

This article will help AEC professionals navigate some of the sustainability tools available on the market, with a focus on the following functions: Energy Modeling, Carbon Management, and Building Performance, Simulation & Analysis.

Some guidance to readers; We’ve been observing that some of the tools overlap in function, however additional features may exist in one product over the other. For that reason, the tool developers have emphasized on interoperability, ensuring easy ways to migrate project data from one product environment to the other. Therefore, we recommend being mindful about workflows as they relate to the sustainability services being offered to clients, and existing modeling tools currently used by your teams. 

Energy Modeling

1. Autodesk Forma

Autodesk Forma is primarily suited for designers and planners involved in the early stages of a project, empowering them to make more sustainable, data-driven decisions. The solution offers bidirectional integration with Autodesk Revit, facilitating a more efficient, collaborative design workflow by enabling seamless data exchange between the two platforms.

Core Features

• Robust sustainability analysis tools, including embodied carbon, daylight, and microclimate assessments
• Generative design capabilities to quickly explore multiple design options
• Centralized, collaborative workspace (Forma Board) for organizing project data and design elements

Adoption Outcomes

• Reduces the need for rework and waste by identifying potential issues before the design is finalized
• Enhances collaboration and communication among project team members through the Forma Board
• Streamlines the iterative design process, turning it into a more efficient, value-driven workflow

2. Cove.tool

As AEC professionals seek to shift from traditional linear design thinking to a more data-driven approach, Cove.tool’s comprehensive suite of tools can be a valuable asset. Its key use cases include assessing the energy performance of new and existing buildings, as well as evaluating design options in the pre-design phase to identify the most energy-efficient solutions. At the core cove.tool is its robust energy simulation capability, which allows users to analyze a building's heating and cooling loads, lighting systems, and daylight strategies. Architects and engineers can leverage these insights to make informed decisions about building systems and envelope design early in the process, optimizing for energy efficiency.

Cove.Tool seamlessly integrates with SketchUp, Rhino, and Revit, allowing users to incorporate energy modeling directly into their design workflow. Additionally, the company offers expert-driven architectural consulting services to help design teams optimize their projects for compliance, performance, and sustainability, helping firms small, medium to large in balancing their limited bandwidth.

Thanks to recent AI developments, cove.tool also provides an AI-assistant tool, Vitras.AI, designed to automate reporting tasks respecting most recent zoning regulations.

Core Features

• Energy simulation to analyze building performance, including heating/cooling loads, lighting, and daylight strategies
• Solar and wind power analysis to assess the impact on building performance
• Building performance optimization through algorithms and simulations to design efficient solutions

Adoption Outcomes

• Enables informed, data-driven design decisions in the early stages of a project
• Improves decision-making to deliver energy efficient and reduced carbon footprint of buildings
• Enhances communication and collaboration through comprehensive visualization and reporting capabilities
• Consulting services enable teams to optimize their bandwidth while being able to offer extended sustainability services to their clients and projects.

3. Fenestra Pro

Fenestra Pro is a comprehensive suite of tools that empowers architects and engineers to optimize the energy performance and code compliance of building envelopes. Its key capabilities include detailed analysis of window-to-wall ratios, glazing specifications, and facade construction assemblies to identify the most energy-efficient design solutions. Fenestra Pro also provides advanced visualization and reporting features to help communicate these insights to project stakeholders.

Fenestra Pro seamlessly integrates with Autodesk Forma and Revit, enabling a streamlined workflow where early-stage design decisions made in Forma can be automatically applied as detailed facade elements in the Revit model. This bidirectional data exchange allows designers to quickly evaluate the impact of envelope design choices and refine their approach throughout the project lifecycle.

Core Features

• Detailed energy analysis of building envelope components, including window-to-wall ratios, glazing, and wall/roof assemblies
• Optimization algorithms to identify the most energy-efficient envelope design solutions
• Comprehensive visualization and reporting tools to communicate performance data
• Automated application of envelope design decisions from Forma to detailed Revit families

Adoption Outcomes

• Design teams can transform their sustainability approach by integrating data-driven insights early in the project lifecycle, enabling more proactive performance optimization
• Architects and engineers can expand their service offerings by providing clients with transparent, comprehensive sustainability assessments that demonstrate technical expertise
• Organizations can reduce project risks and differentiate themselves by leveraging advanced tools that identify potential performance issues before they become costly challenges

4. ClimateStudio

Modeling proficiency varies across AEC teams based on the modeling software of choice. Rhino’s precision in freeform modeling has compelled many architects to adopt it in their workflow, leveraging impactful plug-ins. ClimateStudio’s environmental performance analysis features are optimally designed to integrate with Rhino, enabling sustainability services for those proficient in this modeling environment.

ClimateStudio leverages cutting-edge simulation technologies, including EnergyPlus and a novel RADIANCE-based path tracing approach, to deliver fast and accurate environmental performance insights. Its unique workflow supports rapid, accurate simulations across multiple performance metrics, from LEED compliance calculations to complex multizone energy modeling, all without requiring external data transfers or additional software platforms.

Core Features

• Advanced daylighting and glare analysis using LM-83 standards
• Multizone energy modeling with automatic adjacency detection
• Comprehensive thermal comfort and natural ventilation simulations
• Parametric analysis tools integrated with Grasshopper
• Renewable energy performance and net-zero feasibility modeling

Adoption Outcomes

• Design teams can transform their sustainability approach by integrating sophisticated environmental performance insights early in the project lifecycle
• Architects and engineers can expand their service offerings by providing clients with precise, data-driven building performance assessments
• Organizations can differentiate themselves by leveraging advanced simulation tools that identify performance opportunities and optimize design strategies

5. HVAKR

Concluding the energy modeling section, we’ll focus on HVAKR, a web-based HVAC engineering platform designed to unify system design workflows for mechanical engineers and design professionals. By providing an all-in-one, intuitive solution that integrates load calculations, space zoning, and system design, HVKAR eliminates many complexities often associated with HVAC engineering tools.

Compliant with ASHRAE and ACCA standards, the platform enables rapid design iteration, real-time collaboration, and professional reporting, empowering teams to make faster, more informed decisions throughout the HVAC design process.

Core Features

• Web-based, ASHRAE and ACCA compliant HVAC design platform
• Instant load calculations with real-time project updates
• Seamless floor plan upload and zone/system grouping
• Professional report formatting and export capabilities
• Collaborative design environment with immediate system impact visualization

Adoption Outcomes

• Engineering teams can accelerate HVAC design workflows with intuitive, integrated tools
• Designers can rapidly iterate and evaluate system performance with real-time calculations
• Organizations can improve collaboration and reduce design cycle times through streamlined processes

Carbon Management

6. One Click LCA

One Click LCA initially began supporting building product manufacturers in their LCA workflows, making it easier to achieve EPDs. As the manufacturer oriented solutions are continually improving, the team has also iterated product solutions for designers, architects and developers. By leveraging the world's largest construction product database with AI-powered analytics, the platform enables design and construction teams to automate life-cycle assessments, quantify embodied carbon, and optimize project sustainability across all phases of development. The software provides an integrated approach to measuring environmental impact, supporting teams in achieving certification requirements, regulatory compliance, and ambitious sustainability goals.

One Click LCA's unique value proposition lies in its ability to seamlessly integrate with over 20 BIM and building energy modeling platforms, providing users with a flexible, data-driven approach to embodied carbon reduction and sustainable design.

On December 5th 2024, they’re hosting the Winter Sustainability Summit 2024, a free and virtual webinar, where 3,000+ other AEC professionals will be learning and networking about built environment decarbonization.

Core Features

• MEP Carbon Modeling Tool to quantify and decarbonize mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems using CIBSE TM65 methodology
• Materials Compass: Access to the world's largest construction product sustainability database with 250,000+ products, enabling side-by-side carbon impact comparisons
• Support for 80+ global sustainability certifications and standards
• Advanced carbon strategy and circularity tracking tools

Adoption Outcomes

• Design teams can transform their sustainability approach by quantifying and reducing embodied carbon across project lifecycles
• Architects and engineers can expand service offerings through comprehensive environmental impact assessments
• Organizations can differentiate themselves by demonstrating measurable sustainability performance and regulatory compliance

7. QFlow

Sustainability in AEC spans beyond design. The challenge is that the more we distance from design into construction, the more data there is to process. This can lead to time consuming workflows, but that’s what QFlow aims to address. It’s an innovative construction management platform designed to streamline data capture, tracking, and sustainability reporting through advanced machine learning and AI technologies. The platform automates the collection and analysis of site delivery and waste movement data, providing construction teams with real-time insights, transparency, and comprehensive sustainability metrics without disrupting existing supply chain workflows.

By leveraging OCR and AI-powered data extraction, QFlow transforms manual documentation processes into a seamless, digital workflow that enables project managers to track material deliveries, waste redirections, and embodied carbon with unprecedented accuracy and minimal administrative effort. When we think about incidents such as change orders or reworks, actual carbon data would be different than those calculated in preconstruction, which is why QFlow’s solution addresses reliable carbon data in construction projects.

Core Features

• Automated document scanning and data extraction using machine learning
• Real-time tracking of material deliveries and waste movements across projects
• Automated embodied carbon calculation and sustainability reporting
• Comprehensive project dashboards for supply chain and material management
• Quality control and compliance risk identification tools

Adoption Outcomes

• Construction teams can transform their sustainability tracking by eliminating manual reporting processes
• Project managers can gain unprecedented transparency into material flows and waste management
• Organizations can confidently report sustainability metrics with comprehensive, AI-verified data

8. Tuuli

Similar to how QFlow extends carbon management into construction, Tuuli has designed an interface and platform that supports real estate developers and portfolio managers to better track their project’s environmental impact.

Tuuli is a comprehensive carbon management platform designed to simplify decarbonization efforts for buildings and real estate portfolios. The software enables users to generate quick and accurate life cycle assessments (LCAs) and carbon benchmarks at any stage of design or construction, even with incomplete information, making sustainability analysis accessible to professionals without deep technical expertise.

By providing actionable insights and strategic roadmaps, Tuuli helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, achieve sustainability certifications, and track progress against ESG and carbon emission targets across entire building portfolios.

Core Features

• Rapid life cycle assessment (LCA) generation with flexible data input
• Portfolio-level carbon emissions monitoring and tracking
• Roadmap generation for regulatory compliance and certification
• Scope 1, 2, 3 and SBTi target alignment tools
• Embodied and operational carbon emissions analysis

Adoption Outcomes

• Organizations can demystify carbon management without requiring extensive sustainability expertise
• Project teams can generate comprehensive carbon performance insights quickly
• Portfolios can systematically track and reduce carbon emissions across multiple assets

9. C.Scale (formerly EPIC)

C.Scale (formerly EPIC) is an AI-driven whole life carbon assessment platform designed to simplify decarbonization strategies for building design professionals. By leveraging machine learning models trained on thousands of global building datasets, the platform provides comprehensive carbon emissions analysis across embodied, operational, refrigerant, and landscape dimensions.

The C.Scale web application offers an intuitive interface for design teams to quickly assess and visualize whole life carbon emissions. Users can input project details with varying levels of complexity, from basic project descriptions to detailed material specifications, enabling rapid carbon performance insights without requiring extensive sustainability expertise.

For the power users wanting to maximize potential, C.Scale provides a developer-friendly API that enables seamless integration of whole life carbon calculations into existing workflows. Featuring RESTful JSON protocols and comprehensive documentation, the API allows developers to embed advanced carbon estimation capabilities directly into their tools. The machine learning models are continuously updated to reflect the latest standards and datasets, ensuring users always have access to cutting-edge carbon estimation methodologies.

Core Features

• AI-driven whole life carbon emissions assessment
• Comprehensive carbon tracking across multiple building systems
• Machine learning models to fill data gaps
• Flexible, RESTful API with JSON integration
• Automatic methodology updates based on emerging standards
• Integration with existing design workflows

Adoption Outcomes

• Design teams can develop sophisticated carbon reduction strategies with minimal additional effort
• AEC companies can systematically lower project emissions across entire portfolios
• Developers can easily embed advanced carbon estimation capabilities into their own tools
• Technical teams can leverage continuously improving AI models without manual methodology tracking

10. Pathways

To conclude the carbon management section in this issue of Sustainability Tools, we’ll now switch focus to one of the most challenging carbon data processes in the industry - carbon data for manufacturers. It’s the most challenging because when we consider the goal of accurate carbon accounting, the very nature of manufacturing processes makes quantifying carbon very time consuming and inefficient. That’s exactly what Pathways is addressing.

Pathways is an AI-enabled platform designed to revolutionize environmental product declaration (EPD) processes for manufacturers. By seamlessly integrating with existing data infrastructure, the platform automates the collection, processing, and reporting of sustainability and emissions data, transforming complex, manual processes into streamlined, real-time insights.

Pathways provides manufacturers with an end-to-end solution that simplifies EPD generation, offering direct integration with existing data systems, automatic data pipeline creation, and comprehensive verification services, enabling companies to leverage their sustainability performance as a competitive advantage.

Core Features

• AI-powered data transformation from unstructured to structured sustainability reporting
• Direct integration with existing manufacturing data systems
• Real-time environmental performance tracking and visualization
• Automated EPD verification and publication
• Benchmarking, hotspot analysis, and scenario modeling capabilities

Adoption Outcomes

• Manufacturers can dramatically reduce manual data collection efforts
• Organizations can generate up-to-date, accurate environmental product declarations with minimal internal resources
• Sales teams can leverage sustainability data as a competitive differentiator in market communications

Building Performance, Simulation & Analysis

11. Ladybug

Ladybug is a versatile environmental analysis tool that enables designers to integrate climate data into the early stages of architectural and urban design. By importing EnergyPlus Weather files (.EPW) into Grasshopper, Ladybug generates highly customizable, interactive 2D and 3D visualizations that empower designers to create climate-responsive, sustainable projects. These tools allow users to explore solar radiation, sunlight exposure, shadow behavior, and thermal comfort, providing real-time feedback and insights for passive design strategies.

Ladybug’s integration with Grasshopper’s visual programming environment facilitates instantaneous analysis and visualization of design modifications. This seamless connection allows for a high degree of customization, ensuring that Ladybug fits into any workflow while providing the flexibility to address unique project challenges.

Core Features

• Generate 2D and 3D climate data visualizations for actionable design insights
• Create solar diagrams, shadow studies, and sunlight-hour animations
• Perform solar access, radiation studies, and energy impact evaluations
• Analyze thermal comfort using psychrometric and adaptive comfort charts
• Conduct outdoor and local thermal comfort studies to refine passive strategies
• Visualize shade benefits and shadow masks for optimized environmental performance

Adoption Outcomes

• Enhance early-stage designs with data-driven climate insights
• Optimize solar access, energy efficiency, and comfort through detailed analysis
• Improve passive design strategies with advanced thermal comfort modeling
• Streamline workflows with real-time feedback and Grasshopper integration

12. Enscape Impact

An extension for industry renowned rendering platform, Enscape Impact offers a building performance add-on that seamlessly extends the capabilities of the widely-used visualization platform. Developed in partnership with global climate tech company IES, this tool integrates real-time rendering with advanced building performance metrics, enabling architects and designers to optimize sustainability directly within their existing design workflow.

By embedding energy analysis into the visualization process, Enscape Impact transforms how design teams approach sustainable design. The add-on allows users to generate baseline energy analyses with minimal data entry, providing immediate insights into key performance metrics such as Peak Loads, Total Operational Carbon Emissions, and Energy Use Intensity—all without leaving the design environment.

Core Features

• Real-time energy modeling simulation integrated with rendering
• Minimal data entry for quick performance insights
• Intuitive dials panel showing design performance impacts
• Direct visualization of energy performance metrics

Adoption Outcomes

• Designers can make data-driven sustainability decisions early in the design process
• Teams can reduce carbon emissions through immediate performance feedback
• Architects can enhance communication of design performance to stakeholders
• Firms can improve overall project efficiency and sustainability

13. Adaptis 

Adaptis is a powerful decision-support platform that integrates carbon and cost optimization across the entire lifecycle of buildings, from design to operation and end-of-life. Whether managing a single project or an entire portfolio, Adaptis provides actionable insights to streamline lifecycle planning, reduce carbon emissions, and optimize financial outcomes. Its ability to simulate and compare thousands of design and retrofit options in real-time empowers stakeholders to make informed, data-driven decisions at every stage of a building's lifecycle.

This extensive tool eliminates repetitive assessments and provides compliance-grade reporting for permitting, funding, and certifications. By combining cost and carbon analysis in a single platform, Adaptis enables AEC professionals to align with sustainability goals, reduce climate risk, and improve long-term building value. 

Core Features

• Simulate thousands of design options, from materials to HVAC systems
• Compare retrofit pathways to optimize carbon reduction and cost efficiency
• Track capital projects in a live dashboard with real-time updates
• Generate compliance-grade reports for permitting and certification on demand
• Evaluate portfolio-level impacts on market value, operating income, and net-zero goals

Adoption Outcomes

• For Project Managers: Save time by automating lifecycle carbon and cost analyses, allowing for faster, more informed decision-making throughout the project.
• For Designers and Engineers: Optimize design choices by simulating thousands of options and comparing retrofit pathways to meet sustainability and cost-efficiency goals.
• For Sustainability Consultants: Reduce carbon emissions and future climate risk exposure while improving building performance through data-driven optimization.
• For Owners and Developers: Lower capital expenditures and operating costs, while increasing the long-term value and resilience of buildings.
• For Portfolio Managers: Prioritize high-impact projects by evaluating cumulative impacts on market value, operating income, and sustainability targets across your entire portfolio.

14. SkyCiv

As we dive deeper into areas where decarbonization can be achieved, we surely have to consider the structural engineering workflows. These phases of the project can help mitigate over-engineering, which is one of the common reasons for excessive material use in construction projects.

SkyCiv is a powerful, intuitive, and 100% cloud-based structural analysis software designed to streamline the workflow of engineers across industries. With no installations required, SkyCiv offers robust 3D modeling, analysis, and design capabilities, allowing for collaboration and sharing of projects across teams. Whether you're working on residential, commercial, or industrial projects, SkyCiv provides a full suite of tools—from structural analysis to member, foundation, and connection design—ensuring comprehensive solutions for all types of structures.

The platform supports real-time updates, enabling engineers to quickly adapt designs based on analysis and ensure compliance with relevant standards. With modules for beam analysis, reinforced concrete design, connection design, and more, SkyCiv meets the needs of both small projects and large-scale designs, empowering engineers to optimize designs with precision and speed.

Core Features

• Full 3D modeling and analysis capabilities with SkyCiv Structural 3D
• Simplified beam analysis for continuous, complex, or simple beams with SkyCiv Beam
• Advanced concrete and steel design tools, including RC and member design
• Generate wind loads and produce PDF reports for easy documentation
• Design a wide variety of structural connections using AISC, Eurocode, and other standards
• Access tools for foundation, base plate, slab, and retaining wall design

Adoption Outcomes

• For Structural Engineers: Accelerate project timelines by using cloud-based tools that streamline modeling, analysis, and design without installation headaches.
• For Project Managers: Track and collaborate on projects in real time, ensuring seamless coordination among teams and reducing project delays.
• For Architects: Enhance communication with engineers by integrating SkyCiv’s intuitive platform to streamline structural design processes and ensure architectural goals align with structural capabilities.
• For Contractors: Reduce on-site errors by ensuring designs are thoroughly analyzed and compliant with standards before construction begins.
• For Engineering Firms: Improve efficiency and productivity across teams by using SkyCiv's collaborative features to manage complex projects and integrate diverse design tools.

Concluding this section and article, we will take a pivot into an important aspect of sustainability, as it relates to well-being of occupants and a project’s acoustic requirements. From a project’s total budget, acoustic requirements can account between 1-5% in consultation fees, and up to 15-20% in specialized materials. Acoustic performance requirements easily impact the carbon impact and whole life cycle of a building project.

15. Treble

Treble Acoustic Simulation Platform is an advanced solution that offers highly accurate, wave-based acoustic simulations for room designs, sound systems, and environmental acoustics. Treble enables professionals to model complex sound behaviors, visualize sound pressure distributions, and perform detailed analyses with unmatched speed and precision. With cloud-native simulations, users can access real-time data, collaborate seamlessly, and immerse themselves in interactive audio-visual auralizations of their projects.

Designed for engineers, architects, and acoustic consultants, Treble supports the simulation of various acoustic parameters such as impulse responses, frequency responses, and sound pressure levels, allowing teams to optimize their designs quickly and efficiently. The platform’s intuitive interface and powerful geometry import tools (from SketchUp, DXF, OBJ, and 3DM formats) ensure a smooth workflow from design to simulation, enabling accurate acoustic modeling for any room, system, or environment.

Core Features

• Unmatched simulation speed and accuracy using advanced wave-based technology for precise acoustic modeling across any room or environment
• Cloud-native platform that allows real-time, anywhere access to simulations, collaboration, and project sharing, with no special hardware required
• Immersive audio-visual auralizations to experience and compare acoustic simulations interactively, enhancing decision-making and design iteration
• Detailed sound pressure distribution visualization through Surface Receivers, with heat maps for clear insights into acoustic behavior across surfaces
• Easy geometry import from SketchUp, DXF, OBJ, and 3DM formats, coupled with automatic geometry checking for error-free, optimized simulations

Adoption Outcomes

• For Acoustic Engineers: Achieve faster and more accurate simulations, reducing time spent on manual adjustments and enhancing the precision of room acoustics and sound system design
• For Architects: Integrate Treble into architectural design workflows to ensure optimal acoustic conditions and compliance with acoustic regulations in early-stage design
• For Consultants: Provide clients with immersive, audio-visual auralizations of acoustic models, improving communication and decision-making during the design phase
• For Project Managers: Streamline collaborative processes by using Treble’s cloud-native platform, enabling team members to review, modify, and share simulations seamlessly

 

Conclusion

Thanks to technology’s continued advancement and adoption in the industry, more and more tools are being designed and developed to address the challenging decarbonization needs of AEC professionals. From incumbents adapting to industry needs, to startups shaping simplified experiences, achieving sustainability in project outcomes is becoming easier (but still demanding). 

We are hopeful that AEC companies consider the importance of understanding their team's current workflows and proficiencies, as they look into improving their services to clients. Real estate developers and investors are prioritizing decarbonization as their strategy to scale and manage resilient portfolios, while residents demand better quality of life, energy efficient and environmentally friendly structures.

The landscape of sustainability tools is constantly evolving, which can be both exciting and overwhelming. That’s why we’re keeping track of impactful tools to support your company’s technology resources, helping you stay ahead in the ever-changing digital transformation. Stay tuned for future updates by signing up on our platform and joining our fast-growing community of tech innovators and users.