Ames, IA –Today, Quality Attributes Software and Beck Technology announced a partnership that will help extend the reach of ongoing commissioning (monitoring energy costs of mechanical equipment for the lifecycle of a building) to include Macro BIM (building information modeling).

The integration of Quality Attributes iBPortal™ (Intelligent Building Portal) with Beck Technology DProfiler with RSMeans will allow building owners and managers to fully understand lifecycle energy costs as related to planned costs. Energy costs are compared to a baseline, set through DProfiler in the design and building phases of the project, allowing owners and managers to make adjustments and keep costs in line with expectations.

“Our customers want to gain a better understanding of energy costs during the building design phase and ensure that those costs are not exceeded once the building is in use,” said Craig Engelbrecht, Principal, Chief Marketing Officer of Quality Attributes Software. “Quality Attributes partnered with Beck Technology because the integration of iBPortal’s ongoing commissioning of building performance compared with DProfiler’s mechanical equipment baseline energy costs from the conceptual and design phase offers a way to more accurately calculate ROI for our customers.”

iBPortal™ acquires, trends, displays and reports live building performance data pertaining to energy usage and costs. DProfiler with RSMeans is a Macro BIM solution used in the planning and conceptual design phase to produce an accurate cost estimate of a proposed design as well as 3D models, drawings and proforma documents. With the addition of mechanical equipment to DProfiler’s element database, customers can determine a baseline energy cost incurred by this equipment to give the building owner an understanding of costs going forward. The iBPortal™ then provides ongoing monitoring to determine if the mechanical equipment is performing in accordance with the baseline or if adjustments are needed. Mechanical equipment includes air handling units, chillers, boilers, cooling units, hot water units, solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal units.

Benefits to building owners and managers include the ability to determine total return on investment in the building and compare it to original estimates. Having a baseline of realistic energy costs and usage allows building managers to charge tenants accordingly, so tenants don’t get stuck paying unreasonable energy costs because of malfunctioning or inappropriate equipment.

This solution also prepares building owners for possible government regulations on energy usage. Owners will have documented knowledge of how much energy a building is using at any given point. This is the first step in complying with regulations.

“Partnering with Quality Attributes Software allows us to extend the reach of Macro BIM to the lifecycle costs of a building,” said Stewart Carroll, COO of Beck Technology. “The more robust we can make DProfiler with RSMeans, the better the solution will be for helping our customers lower costs and realize a better return on investment.”

About Quality Attributes Software
Quality Attributes Software is an industry leader in Intelligent Building software for the green building, renewable energy and energy monitoring market. Quality Attributes develops web based iBPortal™ applications that acquire, trend, display and report live building performance data pertaining to energy usage and costs. The complexity made simple through Quality Attributes applications helps building owners and managers understand how their hidden systems are behaving and enables them to make better decisions and understand their ROI. Quality Attributes rounds out their software offering to the intelligent building market with their GreenTouchscreen®, iBDirectory™, and iBDonor™ products.

About Beck Technology, LLC
Beck Technology, LLC, a Beck Company, is the leading provider of virtual model based solutions for accurately, quickly and cost effectively defining project scope and budgets. Beck Technology solutions provide real-time cost analysis, with 3D visualization; enabling users to quickly estimate project costs, perform feasibility analysis, and generate building performance and design criteria. As a leader in development and distribution of software and services for the design and construction industry, Beck has revolutionized the industry by allowing owners and developers to explore any number of project options, while increasing the accuracy of the decision-making process. Beck Technology brings with it the expertise of nearly a century in the design and construction industry and is a pioneer in bringing the next generation of truly innovative technologies to the AEC industry.