IES has announced that its Virtual Environment (VE) software has been officially approved for commercial building compliance with the new California Building Regulations, Title 24. The first commercial software to be approved, the VE 2014 Feature Pack is available for the launch of the regulations on July 1st. California are leading the way in America as the first and only state to introduce third party software vendor access to performance based building regulations.

IES is currently the only software provider in California to combine holistic design and commercial building compliance in one software pack. It will provide an alternative calculation method for demonstrating performance compliance with the non-residential provisions of the 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 6, and associated administrative regulations in part 1, Chapter 10 (Standards).

“We are delighted to be the first to be approved for compliance with Title 24”, says Don McLean, Founder and CEO, IES. “We have been working closely with the California Energy Commission to ensure that our software offers a comprehensive route to compliance.”

He adds, “It is very encouraging to see the introduction of mandatory building regulations in California. It is a real step forward and shows true commitment to creating a healthier, more sustainable and energy efficient built environment. I hope to see other states following suit in the future.”

IES face to face training and e-training sessions are planned for July this year after the launch of the regulations. The training is intended to give current and new users of the IESVE a rounded knowledge of the Title 24 approach. The face to face training will take a practical, hands-on approach covering a number of test cases. More information about training will be available from the IES website in due course.

About IES

Integrated Environmental Solutions’ (IES) mission is to advance the sustainability of the world’s built environment through the use of integrated performance modelling technology, delivering resource efficient, low-energy, zero-carbon buildings and cities for future generations. For additional information, please visit www.iesve.com. You can also follow us on twitter via @IESVE and join us on Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest IES news, or read our blog.