Design and Energy Analysis
Assessment of Workflows and Simulation Tools
Presented on October 10, 2024 at Facade Tectonics 2024 World Congress
Sign in and Register
Create an Account
Overview
Abstract
Integration and interoperability between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Building Energy Modeling (BEM) tools pose major challenges for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. BIM to BEM workflow should steer the users towards the design and analysis of energy efficient building shapes, spaces, systems, and envelope properties. In this research, BEM tools from three categories of BIM-integrated, BIM-interoperable, and BIM-separated BEM tools were selected to evaluate BIM to BEM data sharing formats and interoperability capabilities. For this purpose, case study buildings located at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus were selected to develop the BIM- and BEM-models. Case study buildings’ actual energy data was collected and used to comparatively analyze the simulation results. The results of this comprehensive study on several BEM tools indicated that even though BIM to BEM workflows have substantially improved from the initial stages, further developments on BIM-BEM interoperability are necessary to achieve fully integrated and collaborative workflows. Future developments should address the following issues: 1) interoperability schemas need to be developed to store and transfer all the details incorporated in the BIM model, such as thermal characteristics of the facade assembly, shading and glazing information; 2) space and zone types data within the BIM-model should be automatically transferred to BEM-models, rather than requiring manual input of data or assignment of one thermal zone per space; and 3) capabilities of BEM tools’ should be extended, enabling modelling of complex building geometries, as they influence buildings’ area and performance simulation/prediction. Additionally, the need for manual repair of the BEM-model after BIM to BEM data transfer should be eliminated/reduced.
Authors
Keywords
Paper content
The transition from the conventional design process to the Integrated Design Process (IDP) allows for the implementation of energy modeling and analysis at the early design stages. However
Access Restricted
Rights and Permissions
Bazjanac, Vladimir, and Drury B. Crawley. 1997. The Implementation of Industry Foundation Classes, Simulation Tools for the Building Industry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Dong, Bing, Khee Poh Lam, Y.C. Huang, and G.M. Dobbs. 2007. A Comparative Study of the IFC and gbXML Informational Infrastructures for Data Exchange, Computational Design Support Environments. Tenth International IBPSA Conference 3: 1530–37.
Farid Mohajer, Mahsa and Ajla Aksamija. 2021. Impacts of Building Function on Normalized-Steam Consumption: Analysis of Floor Area Normalization Versus Linear Regression on Heating Degree-Days in a Heating-Dominated Climate. Journal of Green Building 16 (3): 73–85. https://doi.org/10.3992/jgb.16.3.73.
Gao, Hao, Christian Koch, and Yupeng Wu. 2019. Building Information Modelling Based Building Energy Modelling: A Review. Applied Energy 238 (September 2018): 320–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.01.032.
Gourlis, Georgios, and Iva Kovacic. 2017. Building Information Modelling for Analysis of Energy Ef Fi Cient Industrial Buildings – A Case Study. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 68: 953–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.02.009.
Hitchcock, Robert J., and Justin Wong. 2011. Transforming IFC Architectural View BIMs for Energy Simulation. Proceedings of Building Simulation 2011: 12th Conference of International Building Performance Simulation Association, 1089–95.
Pinheiro, Sergio V., James; O’Donnell, Reinhard Wimmer, Vladimir Bazjanac, Sergej Muhic, Tobias Maile, Jerome Frisch, and Christoph van Treeck. 2016. Model View Definition for Advanced Building Energy Performance Simulation, CESBP/BauSIM 2016 Conference, 383–90.
Steel, Jim, Robin Drogemuller, and Bianca Toth. 2012. Model Interoperability in Building Information Modelling. Software and Systems Modeling 11 (1): 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-010-0178-4.