HVAKR vs IES Virtual Environment
IESVE is a powerful building-performance simulation suite — and a heavyweight Windows install built for specialists. For the everyday engineering loop — floor plans, loads, airflows, duct sizing, reports — HVAKR runs in the browser, takes off spaces with AI, and your team learns it in a day.
Head-to-head
Where HVAKR Wins
Right-Sized
Built for Design Speed, Not a Simulation PhD
IESVE is a deep, multi-module simulation suite — whole-building energy, CFD, daylight, decarbonization — that rewards specialist training. HVAKR is purpose-built for the everyday MEP engineering loop: floor plans, loads, airflows, duct sizing, an 8,760-hour energy analysis, and reports. Your team learns it in a day and ships projects faster, without paying for modules you don’t use.
- Focused on engineering: loads, airflows, ducts, reports
- Learnable same-day, no specialist training
- No modular packs to license and assemble
Cloud-Native
No Install. No 32 GB Workstation.
The IESVE design suite installs only on Windows — Mac users run it through Parallels — and recommends a 32 GB-plus RAM workstation. HVAKR opens in any browser on any OS, so a new engineer is calculating loads in minutes, with nothing to install and no workstation-grade hardware required.
- Works on Mac, Windows, or Chromebook
- Nothing to install, activate, or patch
- No workstation-grade hardware required
HVAKR AI
AI Reads Your Floor Plans
In IESVE you build the model by hand — trace rooms over a DXF underlay, or import geometry from SketchUp, Revit, or gbXML. HVAKR AI reads an uploaded PDF floor plan and extracts spaces, areas, and boundaries for you to review — then the engineer stays in control of every number.
- AI space takeoff from PDF floor plans
- No manual DXF tracing or BIM export required
- Engineer reviews and approves every change
Real-Time Collaboration
One Live Project, Your Whole Team
In IESVE the design work happens in local project files on a Windows machine; its cloud collaboration lives in separate operations products, not the design tool. In HVAKR, multiple engineers work the same live project at once — takeoff, loads, and review stay in sync with no files to pass around.
- Live shared projects, no merge step
- Reviewers see the latest state instantly
- Collaboration built into the design tool
Mechanical Engineers On Tap
HVAKR is more than software. Every plan includes support from mechanical engineers who design HVAC for a living — so when a hard load-calc or system-selection question comes up, you get an answer from someone who has solved it before. Where other tools offer software support, HVAKR offers engineering support.
Talk to a real engineer
Stuck on a load calculation, a system selection, or a tricky space? Our mechanical engineers help with the actual engineering — not just which button to press.
Answers in hours, not days
Fast, human product support and onboarding that gets your whole team productive in a day.
Expertise included
Mechanical engineering help comes with your subscription — no consulting contract and no extra fee.
Moving to HVAKR is simple
For everyday engineering, you keep your ASHRAE and ACCA methodology and lose the install, the license activation, and the learning curve. Most teams run their first project in HVAKR the same day they sign up.
- 1
Start a free trial
No download, no license activation, no IT ticket. Open HVAKR in your browser and create your first project.
- 2
Upload a floor plan
Let HVAKR AI take off spaces from your PDF plans instead of tracing geometry over a DXF by hand.
- 3
Run loads and ship reports
Calculate loads, size equipment, design ducts, and export branded PDF and CSV reports.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything or have a powerful PC?
No. HVAKR runs entirely in the browser on any operating system — there is nothing to download and no Windows-only install. The IESVE design suite installs only on Windows (Mac via Parallels) and recommends a 32 GB-plus RAM workstation.
Are HVAKR’s load calculations standards-compliant?
Yes. HVAKR follows ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 183 and ASHRAE 62.1 methodology, and the calculation engine is backed by third-party audits.
Can HVAKR do energy analysis?
Yes. HVAKR runs an 8,760-hour energy analysis on your mechanical system using typical meteorological year weather data — annual and monthly energy consumption, operating cost, energy use intensity (EUI), load duration curves, and weather-dependent load analysis, all from the same model you used for loads. Understanding how your system performs and what it costs to run over a year takes minutes, not a separate simulation model.
Can my whole team work on the same project at once?
Yes. HVAKR projects are shared live — multiple engineers can work and review the same project simultaneously, with collaboration built into the design tool rather than a separate operations product.
Do I need a Revit, SketchUp, or gbXML model to get started?
No. HVAKR works directly from PDF floor plans — its AI extracts spaces so you do not need a BIM model, a SketchUp model, or a gbXML export to begin a project.
What does HVAKR cost?
HVAKR is a per-seat subscription with a free trial — not a set of modular packs to assemble. See our pricing page for current plans.
Right-sized for the work you do every day
Start a free trial and run your first project today: no install, no license activation, no specialist training.