Dear owner, architect or energy consultant,

You are invited to participate in an online survey on the use of building performance simulation during design, construction and operation. A special emphasis of the survey is to better understand who on the design team owns and gets access to the energy model of a building, what role the model currently plays during building design and construction, and how the use of the model could be extended to the overall lifetime of a building.

The survey is being carried out by the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University (GSD) in collaboration with the Harvard Office for Sustainability (OFS). The survey is funded through the Harvard Real Estate Academic Initiative.

We would like you to fill out the following online questionnaire according to your experience as an owner, architect or energy consultant. All of the information obtained through this survey will be kept confidential. Your participation in this research is voluntary. Should you decide to participate in the survey, you still reserve the right to end your participation at any time and for any reason, without prejudice. To end your participation, just close your browser. There are no foreseeable risks or costs to you from participating in this research. By consenting to participate you are not waiving your legal rights.

Should you have any concerns, questions or suggestions, please contact Dr. Christoph Reinhart at reinhart@gsd.harvard.edu or Andrew Lantz at alantz@gsd.harvard.edu. The results of this survey will be published by January 2010 under www.gsd.harvard.edu/people/faculty/reinhart/documents/REAI_Survey.pdf. This research has been approved by the Harvard University Standing Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research under file number F17883-101. Any complaints or problems related to the survey content may, and should, be reported to the committee (T: +1(617) 495-5459 or E-mail: jcalhoun@fas.harvard.edu).