How to use the EDGE App

Summary

In this video, Lenni Poyu, CEO of Cali, presents an overview of the Edge app, a tool designed to help users achieve EDGE certification for sustainable buildings. He demonstrates how to input design data, evaluate energy, water, and material efficiency measures, and assess their impact on a building’s carbon footprint. Through a detailed case study of a care home, Lenni showcases the process of completing a self-assessment and highlights the intuitive nature of the app. He also explains how users can track efficiency savings and make informed decisions regarding sustainability measures, while offering support options from Edge experts.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Edge app is a tool for building sustainability, helping developers and architects achieve Edge certification for environmental impact.
• 😀 The app allows users to input data for different types of buildings, including homes, apartments, retail spaces, and more, to evaluate energy, water, and materials efficiency.
• 😀 The design tab of the app helps define building details such as size, floors, occupancy, and HVAC systems, which are used to calculate base and improved energy cases.
• 😀 Efficiency measures for energy, water, and materials can be selected, and the app shows the impact of these measures on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• 😀 Users can evaluate potential efficiency improvements through the app by comparing baseline energy use with improved measures, calculating the costs and savings associated with those improvements.
• 😀 The water tab includes various measures to improve water efficiency, and users can assess savings and efficiency against the baseline case.
• 😀 In the materials tab, users can select building materials to reduce embodied carbon, and even input customized materials with environmental product declarations (EPDs).
• 😀 The Edge app calculates carbon savings, utility savings, and water use savings based on the chosen efficiency measures, providing real-time feedback on the building's environmental impact.
• 😀 The app is designed to be intuitive, with a user-friendly interface that helps guide users through the process of building certification and energy optimization.
• 😀 Edge experts and resources, such as user guides and expert training, are available to help users navigate the certification process and maximize the app’s functionality.
• 😀 Users can save their progress, download PDF reports, share assessments with team members, and track the sustainability progress of multiple projects using the app.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the Edge app?

The Edge app is designed to help users input data and evaluate efficiency measures for buildings, aiming towards achieving Edge certification, which focuses on environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

Who are the primary users of the Edge app?

The primary users of the Edge app are developers, engineers, and architects who need to assess and improve the energy efficiency of buildings to meet sustainability standards.

What categories of buildings can be selected in the Edge app?

The Edge app allows users to select various building categories such as homes, apartments, service departments, retail spaces, and mixed-use buildings, depending on the building's typology.

How does the Edge app calculate the energy base case and improved case?

The Edge app calculates the base case and improved case by considering the building's design and any selected energy-saving measures. The app compares the base case (the standard calculation) with the improved case (after implementing efficiency measures).

What is the significance of the 'energy tab' in the Edge app?

The energy tab in the Edge app provides a comprehensive list of options for improving energy efficiency in a building. It shows how each selected measure impacts the building’s energy consumption, helping users make informed decisions.

What is the role of the 'materials tab' in the Edge app?

The materials tab allows users to select building materials and assess their environmental impact, particularly in terms of embodied carbon. Users can input data about materials used in various building components like floors, roofs, and walls.

How does the Edge app assist in calculating carbon savings?

The Edge app provides tools to calculate carbon savings based on the selected energy efficiency measures and materials. It visualizes the impact of these measures on reducing energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

What are 'mandatory measures' in the Edge app, and why are they important?

Mandatory measures in the Edge app are essential efficiency strategies that must be implemented to meet the Edge certification standard. These measures are necessary to ensure a building’s environmental impact is minimized, but additional voluntary measures are needed to achieve higher certification levels, such as Edge Advanced.

Can the Edge app handle multiple projects, and how is it beneficial?

Yes, the Edge app can handle multiple projects. Users can create and manage several sub-projects, track efficiency savings across various projects, and share assessments with team members, making it a useful tool for large-scale sustainability efforts.

What is the importance of 'sub-project details' in the Edge app?

Sub-project details in the Edge app help define individual assets, such as different buildings in a development scheme. This feature is crucial for tracking and managing the sustainability efforts of each asset independently within a larger project.