A green building information modelling approach: building energy performance analysis and design optimization

Abstract

Abstract. This study concerning green BIM focuses on the integrated application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and building performance analysis (BPA) software as tools for the design and analysis of building projects, and employs a sequential decision-making cycle and continuously improving design to achieve an optimal proposal consistent with environmental effectiveness. Taking a new Taichung hotel construction project energy consumption design optimization as an example, this study relied on the steps of (1) Determination of the scope of discussion of the proposal within the building life cycle, (2) Setting of energy conservation targets, (3) Accessing to external climate data, (4) Entering internal settings, (5) Implementation of energy conservation calculation module, (6) Visualization analysis and hot spot tracking (7) Proposal Revision, and (8) Optimal proposal, to verify the green BIM concept. With regard to the setting of energy conservation targets, this study recommends that building energy use intensity (EUI) be used as an energy load measurement unit of integrated performance indicators, and employs performance optimization percentage as a rating criterion. In accordance with this method, green BIM combined with assessment of green building indicators is as a means of facilitating integrated design and analysis decision-making. Motivation and goalsIn the face of a rapidly changing climate and global energy crises, how to use building information modelling (BIM) tools to obtain architectural designs offering environmental effectiveness has become a leading issue in the contemporary architectural and construction industries. BIM has two implications, one of which is information modelling, and the other of which is information management. Along related lines, building performance analysis (BPA) software provides building performance visualization and data processing analysis capabilities. Green BIM consequently emphasizes the effective combination of BIM and BPA technologies in integrated design, and seeks to promote a rational building design and analysis decision-making cycle and continuously improving design to ensure the optimized development of designs offering better environmental effectiveness. However, the implementation of green BIM is not a trivial task, and further research and investigation is needed in the areas of software tool selection and integration, and establishment of integrated design procedures and optimal criteria.

Resource Efficiency and Thermal Comfort of 3D Printable Concrete Building Envelopes Optimized by Performance Enhancing Insulation: A Numerical Study

“…A three-dimensional model of a residential building is developed on the Revit building information modeling (BIM) software. Revit is a widely used BIM tool with an interoperability function that enables building geometry and thermal data transfer to energy simulation tools via the Green Building XML (gbXML) schema [33]. Figure 2 illustrates the plan, zones, and walling layout of the building model.…”

Integrating BIM with building performance analysis in project life-cycle

“…The building performance analysis (BPA) provides feedback on building design and facilitates the design optimisation. BPA in existing studies has been primarily focused on building energy assessment [19,62,88]. However, researchers in this study believe that BPA should cover a more comprehensive list of building performance indicators besides energy performance, such as daylighting [24], carbon footprint [9], and overall sustainability performance [7].…”

Discussion of the Possibilities to Achieve a Nearly Zero Energy Building (Nzeb) Using the Bim Approach

“…The Green BIM methodology is the effective combination of BIM and Building Performance Analysis in integrated design that seeks to promote a rational building design with environmental sustainability in mind (CHEN, 2018). Building…”

“…Thus, projects with complex shapes are compromised in this process. CHEN et al (2018) studied the interoperability between Autodesk Revit using gbXML and four different BES tools (i.e., Ecotect, EQUEST, DesignBuilder and IES-VE) and due to the complex shape of the building, in all cases there were misrepresented or overwritten information by the software. It was concluded, then, that the lack of sufficient interoperability between software tools is a barrier for an adequate flow of information from BIM for BES for buildings with complex shapes.…”

“…Computer simulations were developed using the DesignBuilder version 6.1.3.008 software tool due to its adherence in the academic environment (CHEN et al 2018); (REY-HERNÁNDEZ et al, 2018); (FOTOPOULOU et al, 2018); (ASCIONE et al, 2019).…”