Performance Systems and Taitem Engineering are pleased to announce that their co-developed software product, TREAT, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2005 R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine as one of the most significant technology developments of the year. The winning of an R&D 100 Award provides a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that the product is one of the most innovative ideas of the year. TREAT was selected by an independent judging panel – and the editors of R&D Magazine – as one of the most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year.
TREAT is a powerful software tool for simulating building energy consumption and identifies the most cost-effective efficiency upgrades in both single family and multifamily buildings. This scalable application is used by contractors and engineers to model all types of residential buildings and large multifamily buildings. TREAT software simulates building energy consumption using hourly weather data, and the SUNREL calculation engine developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). In addition to building insulation, windows, air leakage properties and mechanical system efficiencies, the model incorporates gains from solar radiation and lights, people as well as appliances. The software can even reconcile a building model with actual billing statements and then provide immediate feedback on synchronizing the model with reality.
TREAT’s development has been sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in cooperation with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory. NYSERDA is currently integrating TREAT as the required auditing tool for their Home Performance with Energy Star® and New York Energy Star® Labeled Homes Programs. NYSERDA also uses TREAT exclusively for its multifamily programs, such as AMP and ResTech. TREAT is being used from California to New Hampshire, and the state of Washington just selected TREAT for use in its low income weatherization program. TREAT is the only pre-approved software suitable for all DOE Weatherization building types without reservation.
Performance Systems Development, Inc. (PSD) is an Ithaca based company that partners with national, regional and local organizations to provide consulting, software development and training services that change the marketplace for energy and building performance services. Taitem Engineering is a consulting engineering firm with extensive design, energy audit, software development, and residential energy research experience. PSD and Taitem worked together to develop TREAT software, and the most recent 3.0 version has enhanced its user-friendly interface so that it is significantly faster than previous versions.
R&D 100 is the award that the Chicago Tribune has called “The Oscars of Invention.” Others have referred to the R&D 100 Award as the “Nobel Prize of Applied Research.” The R&D 100 Award is one of the most prestigious honors in applied research, having previously been given to technological breakthroughs such as the flashcube (1965), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the printer (1986), Taxol anticancer drug (1993), and HDTV (1998).
