Closing the gap in building performance: learning from BIM benchmark industries

Abstract

It is clear that current industry process needs to improve in order to routinely deliver comfortable low carbon buildings. Overheating in buildings designed to be low energy is one of the key symptoms of current problems. Many initiatives aim to improve building performance and the industry process. A selection are reviewed including the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD); the Green Star, LEED, BREEAM and NABERS rating schemes; the PH standard; the Soft Landings process and Building Information Modelling (BIM). The BIM approach is being actively promoted based on the assertion that buildings industry process has stagnated compared to other industries suggested as productivity benchmarks such as the electronics industry. This study highlights the potential role that could be played by Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a framework to address the performance gaps, and suggests that processes from the BIM benchmark industries should be investigated for potential adoption. The organisational context and processes of the electronics industry are described and it is proposed that they could be usefully adapted to reduce the scale and impacts of the building industry performance gap. Key conclusions are that public domain performance data is important and that the adoption of a quality systems approach will be required to deliver the intended performance in practice, eliminate overheating and avoid excess energy use.

Energy and indoor environmental performance of typical Egyptian offices: Survey, baseline model and uncertainties

“…It should be noted that it is always vitally important to continue to verify actual energy and indoor environmental performance of buildings, especially those with advanced technology options, as performance gaps have been found to be common and not yet fully addressed by the latest international initiatives [58], [59].…”

Retrofit Planning for the Performance Gap: Results of a Workshop on Addressing Energy, Health and Comfort Needs in a Protected Building

“…An adaptive approach was considered for the thermal comfort assessments. According to CEN standard BS EN 15251 (BSI 2007), a comfortable temperature in naturally ventilated buildings can be predicted using Equation (1), where Tcomf = the maximum comfortable temperature (°C); Trm = the running mean temperature for today weighted with higher influence of recent days [22] (°C). Trm can also be calculated using Equation (2) where Ted-1 = the daily mean external temperature for the previous day (°C); Ted-2 = the daily mean external temperature for the day before (°C) and so on; α = constant; [22] suggest using α = 0.8.…”

“…The authors also note the need for better monitoring for data collection, as well as more training that targets energy-related technical and communication skills in the building sector (construction and operation). Finally, Tuohy and Murphy [22] suggest that through reshaping the aims of Building Information Management to include actual building performance, providing ratings/awards based on actual performance, and the adoption of a more robust feedback systems in the design process, greater accountability can be realized with respect to actual energy demand.…”

Are current design processes and policies delivering comfortable low carbon buildings?

“…Such authors posit that the observed disconnects have their root causes within the policy drivers of the related industry processes. The current situation is described and analysed in this paper, improvements proposed by the authors, informed by their backgrounds in the software, electronics and automotive industries are then presented in another paper in this journal (Tuohy and Murphy 2014). This paper:…”