The LT-Portugal software: A design tool for architects

In Portugal, there is a critical need for architects to incorporate energy-conscious strategies on the process of refurbishment design. Passive design technology is still widely unknown or misused by Architects, to a large extent because information on these issues is scarce, mostly referring to foreign climatic and building contexts. There is also a great need for user-friendly tools, like the LT method, particularly for demonstrating and validating its use in the Portuguese context. This paper presents the LT-Portugal software, which is an energy design tool that can quickly assess the energy use (lighting, cooling, ventilation and heating) and thermal comfort implications of design options – both in existing projects and also to inform design decisions. Despite the complexity of the analysis, the LT method is easy to use and to apply to a range of situations. It is thus an ideal to assess refurbishment strategies, to which it has been applied before, and to make comparisons between various refurbishment options.