COMNET Vision Mission and Objectives

COMNET Vision

A COMNET developed quality control and assurance program, is widely accepted and used as the most technically credible and reliable process for evaluating commercial and high-rise multifamily building energy performance, as required for building energy code compliance, sustainability ratings, asset ratings, and operations as well as governmental and utility programs and tax programs. .

COMNET Mission

COMNET’s mission is to build consensus among software developers, rating authorities and energy modelers, and through this process, develop and maintain a quality control and assurance program for evaluating the energy performance of new and existing commercial and high-rise multifamily buildings.

COMNET Quality Control and Assurance Program Objectives

• establish a forum for developing  initiatives, guidelines, and standards for building energy modeling,
• develop and publish consensus guidelines and standards for building energy modeling,
• provide a detailed specification for energy analysis software in the Modeling Guidelines and Procedures (MGP),
  • automate generation of baseline building (required by the MGP),
  • control neutral variables (required by the MGP),
  • accredit software that implements the MGP,
  • continue review and quality assurance of accredited software,
  • update and enhance the MGP along with requirements for re-accreditation,
  • develop official interpretations on how the MGP specification applies,
• adopt standard formats for inputs and outputs of building energy modeling simulators,
• develop and maintain the COMNET portal through which all COMNET accredited energy analyses would pass,
  • make basic and automated quality assurance checks for every COMNET energy analysis,
  • select certain COMNET energy analyses for detailed quality assurance checks by qualified engineer,
• perform periodic internal quality audits of COMNET quality process, per ISO 9000, and
• credential and/or train energy modelers.