About Pivotal Energy Solutions

Pivotal Energy Solutions is a technology company focused on delivering innovative software solutions for the energy efficiency industry.

AXIS, our flagship product, is a cloud-hosted software platform designed to enable operational efficiencies and transparency for energy efficiency program administrators, participants, and downstream stakeholders.

APEX, a web-based simulation solution, enables much needed consistency missing from the industry today for residential energy efficiency program sponsors and downstream stakeholders while maintaining flexibility for energy raters and modelers to utilize their preferred simulation engines.

Pivotal's mission is to enable the transformation of the energy efficiency industry through innovative software solutions that deliver efficiency, accuracy, and transparency. Our passion is to create and deliver software solutions that radically improve the way energy efficiency data is collected and shared to empower a more sustainable future for our world.

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Products

AXIS

AXIS, used by leading program sponsors such as NEEA and Energy Trust of Oregon, and most recently deployed for the national NGBS Green program, serves as a centralized data collection, storage, and sharing hub with integrated workflow management and messaging functionality. In addition to supporting the RESNET energy rating and NGBS Green certification processes, the modular architecture of AXIS allows for customization of functionality, visibility, and workflows to meet program-specific needs.

AXIS is a cloud-based data and workflow management platform that streamlines energy ratings and energy efficiency program participation through data sharing by connecting raters/verifiers, certification organizations, QA organizations, utilities and others using a centralized data repository and modern user interface. Contact us to learn more about AXIS.

APEX

APEX, a cloud-based energy rating software solution targeting residential new construction, leverages the power of DOE's EnergyPlus simulation engine and NREL's OpenStudio-ERI calculation platform to assess the modeled performance of a home relative to a reference home. The energy rating index (ERI) calculated by APEX can be used in a variety of ways, including performance-based energy code compliance, utility incentive program submission, national energy efficiency program certification, 45L tax credit eligibility, and sustainability/ESG reporting. APEX is available today and features a fully supported GUI, supports multiple text file input formats, and is accessible via API or through our AXIS integration.

Latest News

Pivotal Energy Solutions Unveils Graphical User Interface for APEX Energy Rating Software

Gilbert, Arizona – Pivotal Energy Solutions, LLC, an innovator in residential energy efficiency software, proudly announces the launch of a graphical user interface (GUI) for its APEX energy rating software platform.

Pivotal’s APEX platform is a cloud-based energy rating software solution built on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) open-source EnergyPlus simulation engine and National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) OpenStudio-ERI calculation platform. In June 2024, a version of APEX supporting HPXML (Home Performance eXtensible Markup Language) text file input, was accredited by RESNET, the nation’s largest ENERGY STAR® Home Certification Organization (HCO). The new intuitive, web-based graphical user interface for APEX significantly expands the market for Pivotal by offering functionality directly targeting energy raters and modelers.

“With our GUI offering, APEX will be the only web-based, RESNET-accredited energy rating software built on the DOE's open-source EnergyPlus engine and NREL's OS-ERI software platform,” said Steven Klass, co-founder of Pivotal Energy Solutions. “Leveraging DOE’s and NREL’s technology allows us to focus on delivering enhanced web-enabled functionality and user experience, setting us apart from competitors. Coupled with our AXIS platform, we provide the most powerful and configurable solutions in the industry for energy raters, modelers, and utility program administrators."

The new GUI enables energy modelers to:

• Efficiently capture structural and mechanical home properties
• Simulate home performance against integrated standard reference homes or a custom user-defined reference home (UDRH)
• Utilize real-time data validations during model entry, ensuring accuracy and efficiency
• Access built-in industry-standard and custom library elements to simplify model creation
• Share simulation results via API integration or directly to Pivotal’s AXIS platform

The energy rating index (ERI) calculated by APEX can be used for a variety of purposes, including performance-based energy code compliance, utility incentive program submission, national energy efficiency program certification, and 45L tax credit eligibility.

Expanding the Pivotal Product Ecosystem
The APEX platform joins Pivotal’s flagship product, AXIS, a robust web-based platform for energy efficiency program delivery and data sharing. AXIS enables energy raters, verifiers, and inspectors to seamlessly submit and manage data for homes participating in industry leading energy efficiency and “green” certification programs. To date, over 191,000 homes and buildings have been certified using the AXIS platform. Both AXIS and APEX are powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s leading cloud-computing service provider, ensuring scalable, secure, and reliable performance.

Bob Burns, Pivotal co-founder, added, “With the climate challenges we face today, we’re committed to delivering software solutions that advance the residential energy efficiency industry. Our technology is designed to enable operational efficiencies and drive meaningful progress toward a more sustainable future.”

Availability
APEX is now available for beta testing. The APEX GUI and calculation engine are currently pending accreditation by RESNET.

About Pivotal Energy Solutions
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, Pivotal Energy Solutions is a self-funded software-as-a-service (SaaS) company dedicated to advancing the residential energy efficiency industry. The company develops innovative, cloud-based platforms to support energy modeling, compliance, program delivery, and data sharing. Contact Pivotal for more information about AXIS and APEX.

Home Innovation Research Labs Celebrates Certification of 500,000th Green Home in the NGBS Green Program

Home Innovation Research Labs proudly announces a significant milestone in sustainable housing with the certification of the 500,000th green home to the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The project that helped NGBS Green reach this point was Bluebird, a permanent supportive housing facility in Boulder, CO. The NGBS Green Verifier on the project was Sarah Hong, PE, Energy Project Manager for Group14 Engineering, PBC.

The 500,000th NGBS Green Certified Home, Bluebird, is a housing tax credit project developed by Element Properties to provide permanent supportive housing to those experiencing homelessness.

Many of the design features that were pursued to address sustainability, energy + water efficiency, and occupant health and well-being aligned with NGBS principles, allowing the building to achieve NGBS Silver certification. The project also has an energy-efficient design that achieves an EUI of 31.4 kbtu/SF/year – 21% below Colorado’s 2030 benchmarking target. Key features include an above-code envelope, ENERGY STAR appliances, WaterSense-equivalent plumbing fixtures, and high-efficiency cold-climate packaged heat pumps. A central ERV was installed for ventilation, which not only reduces energy consumption, but also provides improved climate resilience and indoor air quality with MERV 13+ filters that are able to capture airborne particulates and pollutants resulting from regional wildfires.

In consideration of its resident population, the building has been designed with trauma-informed design strategies to provide a safe, supportive space for people who have been homeless for years. The site is also located in a central area of Boulder with easy access to bike paths, walking trails, and public transportation, and each resident gets a free bus pass. There is also an onsite solar PV system that not only reduces the energy cost burden on tenants but also reduces the building's greenhouse gas emissions by 12%. The building was designed by Shopworks Architecture and built by I-Kota.

The NGBS Green program, administered by Home Innovation Research Labs, is a comprehensive and rigorous certification that recognizes homes for their commitment to sustainability. Achieving this milestone highlights the growing commitment of homeowners, builders, and communities across the nation to create more sustainable and resilient living spaces.

"We are thrilled to reach the monumental achievement of certifying the 500,000th green home in the NGBS Green program," said Michelle Foster, VP of Sustainability at Home Innovation Research Labs. " This accomplishment underscores the industry’s commitment to the design and construction of sustainable buildings that have a smaller impact on the planet and a big impact on the resident’s lives. Bluebird also showcases the positive impact that sustainable housing can have on our communities."

The NGBS Green program provides a framework for builders and developers to construct homes that are not only energy-efficient but also healthier for occupants and kinder to the environment. The certification process evaluates various aspects of a home, including energy performance, water usage, indoor air quality, and resource efficiency. By meeting the stringent criteria set forth by the NGBS Green program, homeowners can be confident that their homes are contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future.

Learn more about the NGBS Green program by visiting HomeInnovation.com/NGBSGreen today.

Pivotal Announces New APEX Simulation and Analysis Platform

Pivotal Energy Solutions, LLC, based in the Phoenix Arizona metropolitan area, has announced a new simulation solution targeting the residential new construction market. APEX, a simulation solution that utilizes the U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergyPlus simulation engine and OpenStudio-ERI calculation platform, enables the simulation of residential energy model data to generate energy rating index (ERI) and consumption results. APEX results may be used for a variety of purposes including eligibility for 45L tax credits, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed security offerings, performance-based energy code compliance, sustainability/ESG reporting, and incentive calculation for utility incentive programs.

APEX offers unique functionality for energy raters and modelers, utilities and other energy efficiency program sponsors, home builders, code officials, and downstream stakeholders to both validate energy models against specific program requirements and simulate those models using standard program reference homes and/or custom, program-specific user defined reference homes (UDRH’s). APEX’s input validation functionality – which can be run independently from simulation – performs automated checks on the energy model input values to ensure they not only fall within prescribed bounds but are also internally consistent with other home characteristics and specified values. This functionality enables energy raters and modelers to identify and correct issues with their energy models prior to simulation or submission to energy efficiency program administrators.

APEX supports the simulation of energy models using the U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergyPlus and OpenStudio-ERI simulation engine and calculation platform. The EnergyPlus/OpenStudio-ERI solution is an open-source offering from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), meaning that the source code of the software is accessible to anyone to read, examine, and critique – proprietary simulators do not support the same level of transparency. The EnergyPlus/OpenStudio-ERI platform provides consistent, accurate results for an industry under increasing scrutiny due to the availability of 45L federal tax credits for homes meeting specific ERI targets and conforming to federal energy efficiency program requirements.

APEX’s support for standard reference homes and custom user defined reference homes (UDRH’s) also enables unique flexibility within the industry. Using a single energy model, APEX can perform simulations using any number of program-specific reference homes or custom UDRH’s. For example, eligibility for ENERGY STAR, DOE Zero Energy Ready, performance-based energy code compliance, and utility program incentives can all be determined through a single submission to APEX. Energy efficiency program developers and sponsors can also use APEX to enforce program requirements using the APEX input validation and custom UDRH capability to define energy efficiency targets and incentives as their programs evolve. APEX supports energy consumption and ERI calculation for ENERGY STAR, DOE ZERH, and virtually any utility and/or municipality performance-based program.

Bob Burns, co-founder of Pivotal, said, “We’re very excited to be offering this new solution to the industry. APEX enables utilities, builders, code officials, and downstream markets that rely on the modeled performance of homes to utilize a single, DOE-funded, open-source simulation engine, which we believe is a huge benefit to multiple stakeholders. APEX can serve as a ‘normalization tool’ to enable energy raters and modelers to use whichever modeling software they prefer while also providing a single, standard set of results generated by re-simulation of the original input data with EnergyPlus.”

The APEX simulation solution is currently integrated into Pivotal’s AXIS cloud-based platform used for the administration of and participation in a variety of “green” and energy efficient buildings programs. In the near future, APEX simulation and analysis solutions will also be offered as stand-alone cloud-based solution accessible through an application programming interface, or API, for easy integration into existing utility program infrastructure and back office applications.

Burns concluded, “APEX is a very powerful solution being introduced at exactly the right time to meet the residential new construction industry’s needs and support our country’s push toward a more sustainable future. We’re excited that we can play a role in the evolution of the industry.”

For more information about APEX, AXIS or other Pivotal software offerings, please click here to contact us.

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