David Smolker
Since the launch of the AIA2030 commitment, 1,300 architecture firms around the world have pledged support for carbon neutral design and construction projects.
For years, Autodesk and the AIA have partnered to make AIA2030 reporting easier and more automated, and we’re pleased to share that we’ve renewed a technical partnership to bring more automation to AIA2030 reporting with the Total Carbon Analysis workflow in Autodesk Revit and Insight.
If you or your team are responsible for AIA2030 reporting, bookmark this post. We’ll be compiling tutorials, product updates, and perspectives from architects that can help you better understand the tools, capabilities, and case studies for reaching your AIA2030 commitments.
Announcing a new Learn and Earn webinar!
Design Smarter: Carbon Analysis in early-stage design
Learn about new tech
Earn 1 AIA CEU
September 26 and on-demand.
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What’s New for Carbon Analysis with Autodesk Insight
Updates and feature releases for Revit and the next generation of Autodesk Insight.
August 2024 Update // Benchmarks are here!
Integrate industry and regional sustainability standards, like Net Zero Energy (NZE), into your dashboards and charts to more easily compare modeled to target performance. You can use benchmarks to set baselines and targets for factors like annual energy use intensity, heating demand, carbon intensity, and more, supporting your understanding of a project’s carbon footprint and performance against its desired outcomes and objectives.
July 2024 Update // Insight available from Revit toolbar
Starting with the release of Revit 2025.2, Total Carbon Analysis with Insight is now available in the Revit ‘Analysis’ tools. Install of the plug-in is no longer required to start using Insight with Revit 2025.2. See the product help for more information.
June 2024 Update // AIA and Autodesk announce technical partnership
As announced at the AIA national conference, Autodesk and the AIA renewed a technical partnership on a direct data exchange (DDX) workflow between Insight and AIA2030 reporting. This supports more automation in reporting AIA2030 data directly from Insight, saving time and simplifying report generation. The DDX workflow was added to the Revit Public Roadmap as “In Progress.”
April 2024 Update // Total Carbon Analysis workflow now available for Revit and the AEC Collection.
This April, we rolled out Total Carbon Analysis for architects – a new capability in Revit and the AEC Collection that offers insights into the carbon impacts of design choices at any stage of architectural design.
What to know:
- You can model carbon impacts for your project using Revit and the next generation of Autodesk Insight. Visualize data from your Revit model in Insight to assess systems, building envelope, wall and window specifications, and more.
- Run design scenarios and get insights into sustainability analytics as you weigh and optimize design decisions. You can use Revit and Insight to check your design’s performance as it progresses, aiding you in optimizing and balancing operational and embodied carbon, and produce the hard data you need for project and reporting requirements.
- If you’re in the early concept stage, Autodesk Forma now offers a feature for directional assessments of embodied carbon. This is great because early planning offers the best chance to reduce carbon impacts. The EPIC data model, created by EHDD, the US architecture firm that introduced the net zero energy building concept, powers this feature. So, with Embodied Carbon Analysis in Forma, you can better predict carbon impacts from main material choices and building form during site feasibility and massing studies.
Where to find out more:
- AEC Public Roadmap for Architecture
- Blog post: What’s New in the Next Generation of Autodesk Insight (5 minute read)
- Video: Introducing Total Carbon Analysis for architect (4:27)
- Video: How to use the Embodied Carbon Analysis in Forma (4:20)
Learn the workflows
Get started with carbon analysis in Autodesk Insight
See the list of on-demand guided tutorials below and learn how to use Revit and Insight to track and evaluate your project’s carbon footprint.
On-demand learning pathways for Revit and Insight
Creating a Revit energy analytical model
Understanding Metrics and Factors with Insight
Additional resources:
- Activating Autodesk Insight
- Ask the experts on the Insight Community Forum.
- Watch On-Demand: Total Carbon Analysis Workflows with Forma, Revit, and Insight
Perspectives from practice
Dan Stine of Lake | Flato
From design, to policy, tools, and workflows: Director of Design Technology Dan Stine shares what you need to know to make your practice carbon conscious.
311 Third, Lake | Flato, Image: Robert G. Gomez
Jordan Lanoway of Stantec
As a leader in sustainable design, Stantec grounds carbon reduction efforts in a full lifecycle approach to design.
Senior Project Manager Jordan Lanoway explains how.
FortWhyte Alive Buffalo Crossing. Courtesy of Stantec.
Read the latest Autodesk Impact Report and see how we partner with the AEC Industry to support sustainable design.