A Comparison of Building Energy Performance Simulation Tools in BIM and non-BIM environments

Sammanfattning: The detailed use of Building Performance Simulation (BPS) tools to estimate the energy use and encourage energy savings solutions is vital in mitigating the energy use for buildings and the production of this energy. Furthermore, the design of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings involves a collaborative effort among professionals in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools provides the assessment of the performance of different design solutions possible with timely feedback during each design phase and over the life cycle of the building. However, there have been some limitations in its use for building performance simulations in BIM environments such as the translation of building specific data from the objects of 3D geometries to BEM, the less customizable inputs of the HVAC systems, and the insufficient knowledge of the operation of the HVAC systems. Consequently, the major issue of BIM and BEM interoperability (in BIM environments) has resulted in data clashes and data loss of the functional and physical specifications of the building as represented by the 3D building objects. Using a systematic analysis, this study analyzed the inputs that are relevant to the three selected BPS tools in one BIM environment and two non-BIM environments, after which a case study located in a cooling-dominated climate was assessed to examine the combination of the customizable inputs for each BPS tools. The study found that using the BPS tool in a BIM environment resulted in some promising results based on the comparison with the other BPS tools. However, the possibility of integrating BIM with one of the BPS tools using the IFC data scheme and its wide range of customizable inputs for HVAC systems showed that its use in the EDP and other stages would reduce the time for remodelling and inputting the relevant building data to provide timely feedback for its use in estimating energy efficiency in buildings.