Further energy efficiency metrics in greenBIM

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greenBIM enables optimization criteria for energy efficiency. Currently, greenBIM provides metrics and benchmarks for embodied energy and heating demand. With the help of the Energy Lab Booster, further operational energy aspects are considered, e.g. cooling demand, warm water demand, lighting. In that way, all the most important factors for an initial energy efficiency optimization are enabled in an early design stage through a solution, available for architects in their common working environment. Project idea description​AbbreviationsAECO – Architectural, Engineering, Construction and OperationsBIM – Building Information ModellingGHG – Greenhouse Gas What problem would you like to solve?​The Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) industry is responsible for 40% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. These emissions are 60% due to embodied energy, or the energy needed for the production of building materials, and 40% due to operational energy, the energy needed for certain processes within buildings, like heating and cooling. We would like to minimize both aspects by considering them already in the design architectural phase of buildings. In that sense, the main problem we would like to address is: Minimize CO2 and non-renewable energy levels in the building industry.Who are the customers, and how will they profit from a solution?​Our customers are architects and planners, working in the design phase of projects. By developing our solution further, we would give them more tools to enable them to consider environmental aspects in their designs.How does your project idea affect energy savings or CO2 emissions?​The building sector has a significant potential to minimize the building materials demand and improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and therefore, reduce GHG emissions. The greatest opportunity for optimizing the embodied and operational energy of buildings is in the early design stages. However, in most planning processes, energy analysis is conducted by external specialists, who are not directly involved in the design process. Moreover, the analysis is done shortly before construction when major changes to the design have a high-cost impact. The integration of energy performance analysis in the early design stages is therefore strongly desirable. However, suitable tools able to quickly generate results that can help the planner optimize the building design are required.Digitalization can help make use of this potential and hence minimize CO2 and non-renewable energy levels throughout the entire building’s life cycle. One way to do that is through the integration of embodied and operational energy optimization practices into the building process by employing Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM is a 3D model-based process and technology by which a structure of information obtained by different stakeholders is created and a multidisciplinary collaboration amongst them is achieved. BIM can reduce the effort needed to carry out energy-related calculations, and therefore, facilitate their incorporation into the building process while enabling architects to perform them. Moreover, using BIM to conduct energy analysis is expected to reduce GHG emissions in buildings by 20% in the current building practice. Facilitating architects to implement energy analysis in their design practices can be expected to increase this percentage.Current status and previous activities​Who are the existing persons/companies in your team and what is their role?Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW), Institut Nachhaltigkeit und Energie am Bau (INEB) – The Institute for Sustainability and Energy in Buildings (INEB) at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) is the holder of the greenBIM program. INEB has established itself over the past 25 years as one of the leading Swiss institutes in applied energy research. INEB is active in the field of efficient use of energy and the use of renewable energies in construction. In training and further education, research and in projects with practical partners, the institute deals with the efficient use of energy, the use of renewable energies, sustainable planning and building, resources for efficient and circular building and topics related to healthy building such as indoor air quality. Furthermore, INEB strongly works with the Institute of Digital Building (IDIBAU, FHNW), on topics, related to digitalization in the building industry. In that regard, the greenBIM program has strong support from sustainability and digital buildings specialists in FHNW.Anita Naneva – Anita is a scientific associate at INEB and IDIBAU and the project manager of greenBIM. She is a BIM and sustainable and energy efficient construction specialist. As such, she is responsible for the concept creation and implementation of different topics in greenBIM. Anita is an M.Sc. architect and M.Sc. ETH Integrated Building Systems graduate. She has strong involvement in topics, related to sustainability and digitalization. Besides FHNW, she works in Halter AG as a product developer and as an external expert in the European Commission.Barbara Sintzel – Barbara is the head of INEB and the program coordinator of greenBIM. Barbara is a specialist in sustainable construction, represents the subject in juries of architecture competitions and accompanies sustainable construction projects from the start of planning through the commissioning. Barbara is a graduate Natw. ETH and MBA business administration ZHW. She has headed INEB since January 2021. Before that, she was managing director of the ecobau association for 14 years, where she headed the building department and the sustainable building course.Gregor Steinke – Gregor is a scientific associate at INEB and the energy efficiency consultant of greenBIM. He is an energy efficient construction specialist. His responsibility is related to providing insights into regulations and norms, part of the construction industry in Switzerland. Gregor is a RWTH Aachen engineer and architect, a specialist in topics related to sustainable construction, passive housing, energy efficiency, and regulations in Switzerland. He is also strongly connected to topics, related to education in FHNW.What has been tried before? What was not successful? What have you learned?​FHNW has developed the greenBIM program.greenBIM develops BIM tools for embodied and operational energy analysis in buildings. The following solutions exist until now: Revit solution for embodied energy – finalized;ArchiCAD solution for embodied energy – finalized;Revit solution for heating demand in buildings – in a test phase.The different greenBIM solutions have been distributed to more than 250 architects and planners in Switzerland complementary. All solutions enable architects to work in their common environments, by providing a plug-in directly in BIM architectural software programs. Architects and planners can analyse their design in a very initial phase, by acknowledging the building geometry. The greenBIM solutions simplify the implementation of energy analysis in a digital form, and as such do not require architects and planners to possess additional skills to apply them. Still, if needed, FHNW has implemented lectures about greenBIM in their educational program. greenBIM is also part of SIA courses and additional consultation and training are available free of charge.The current state of greenBIM enables architects to bring additional information in BIM models in terms of embodied energy and heating demand. This information is added to existing building components, part of the building model. Once this information is provided, calculations, implementing benchmarks for both embodied energy and heating demand are applied and respectively optimization of the design is enabled.Resources needed​What are your planned work packages?The next foreseen step of the development of greenBIM is the implementation of further energy efficiency metrics - cooling demand, warm water demand, lighting, electricity, room usage data. Planned working packages for that are: WP1 - Analysis of architectural practicesWP 2 - Analysis of existing tools WP 3 - Analysis of existing energy efficiency standards WP 4 - ConceptWP 5 - ImplementationWP 6 - TestingThrough the first and the second working packages, the current architectural practices and tools for applying energy efficiency metrics are analysed. The third working package focuses on standards and regulations, providing metrics for the implementation of energy efficiency guidelines and benchmarks. The fourth working package builds upon the previous three and brings them together in a BIM-based concept. Working packages five and six focus on further implementing and testing that concept.In that way, all the most important energy efficiency aspects are enabled in an initial design stage, giving architects and planners the opportunity to optimize their designs in their common working environments.How can the Energy Lab help you?​The Energy Lab is a very strong partner in relation to the different stakeholders, part of the greenBIM proposal. Another very significant aspect of the relationship is the knowledge aggregated in the Energy Lab. The third aspect is a further communication and market potential that the Lab brings.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Further energy efficiency metrics in greenBIM
• Date: 2/18/2022 2:32:18 PM
• Administrators:
  • Anita Naneva

Project Idea Description

Project idea description​

Abbreviations

AECO – Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Operations

BIM – Building Information Modelling

GHG – Greenhouse Gas

What problem would you like to solve?​

The Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) industry is responsible for 40% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. These emissions are 60% due to embodied energy, or the energy needed for the production of building materials, and 40% due to operational energy, the energy needed for certain processes within buildings, like heating and cooling. We would like to minimize both aspects by considering them already in the design architectural phase of buildings. In that sense, the main problem we would like to address is:

Minimize CO2 and non-renewable energy levels in the building industry.

Who are the customers, and how will they profit from a solution?​

Our customers are architects and planners, working in the design phase of projects. By developing our solution further, we would give them more tools to enable them to consider environmental aspects in their designs.

How does your project idea affect energy savings or CO2 emissions?​

The building sector has a significant potential to minimize the building materials demand and improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and therefore, reduce GHG emissions. The greatest opportunity for optimizing the embodied and operational energy of buildings is in the early design stages. However, in most planning processes, energy analysis is conducted by external specialists, who are not directly involved in the design process. Moreover, the analysis is done shortly before construction when major changes to the design have a high-cost impact. The integration of energy performance analysis in the early design stages is therefore strongly desirable. However, suitable tools able to quickly generate results that can help the planner optimize the building design are required.

Digitalization can help make use of this potential and hence minimize CO2 and non-renewable energy levels throughout the entire building’s life cycle. One way to do that is through the integration of embodied and operational energy optimization practices into the building process by employing Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM is a 3D model-based process and technology by which a structure of information obtained by different stakeholders is created and a multidisciplinary collaboration amongst them is achieved. BIM can reduce the effort needed to carry out energy-related calculations, and therefore, facilitate their incorporation into the building process while enabling architects to perform them. Moreover, using BIM to conduct energy analysis is expected to reduce GHG emissions in buildings by 20% in the current building practice. Facilitating architects to implement energy analysis in their design practices can be expected to increase this percentage.

Current status and previous activities​

Who are the existing persons/companies in your team and what is their role?

• Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW), Institut Nachhaltigkeit und Energie am Bau (INEB) – The Institute for Sustainability and Energy in Buildings (INEB) at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) is the holder of the greenBIM program. INEB has established itself over the past 25 years as one of the leading Swiss institutes in applied energy research. INEB is active in the field of efficient use of energy and the use of renewable energies in construction. In training and further education, research and in projects with practical partners, the institute deals with the efficient use of energy, the use of renewable energies, sustainable planning and building, resources for efficient and circular building and topics related to healthy building such as indoor air quality. Furthermore, INEB strongly works with the Institute of Digital Building (IDIBAU, FHNW), on topics, related to digitalization in the building industry. In that regard, the greenBIM program has strong support from sustainability and digital buildings specialists in FHNW.
• Anita Naneva – Anita is a scientific associate at INEB and IDIBAU and the project manager of greenBIM. She is a BIM and sustainable and energy efficient construction specialist. As such, she is responsible for the concept creation and implementation of different topics in greenBIM. Anita is an M.Sc. architect and M.Sc. ETH Integrated Building Systems graduate. She has strong involvement in topics, related to sustainability and digitalization. Besides FHNW, she works in Halter AG as a product developer and as an external expert in the European Commission.
• Barbara Sintzel – Barbara is the head of INEB and the program coordinator of greenBIM. Barbara is a specialist in sustainable construction, represents the subject in juries of architecture competitions and accompanies sustainable construction projects from the start of planning through the commissioning. Barbara is a graduate Natw. ETH and MBA business administration ZHW. She has headed INEB since January 2021. Before that, she was managing director of the ecobau association for 14 years, where she headed the building department and the sustainable building course.
• Gregor Steinke – Gregor is a scientific associate at INEB and the energy efficiency consultant of greenBIM. He is an energy efficient construction specialist. His responsibility is related to providing insights into regulations and norms, part of the construction industry in Switzerland. Gregor is a RWTH Aachen engineer and architect, a specialist in topics related to sustainable construction, passive housing, energy efficiency, and regulations in Switzerland. He is also strongly connected to topics, related to education in FHNW.

What has been tried before? What was not successful? What have you learned?​

FHNW has developed the greenBIM program.

greenBIM develops BIM tools for embodied and operational energy analysis in buildings. The following solutions exist until now:

• Revit solution for embodied energy – finalized;
• ArchiCAD solution for embodied energy – finalized;
• Revit solution for heating demand in buildings – in a test phase.

The different greenBIM solutions have been distributed to more than 250 architects and planners in Switzerland complementary. All solutions enable architects to work in their common environments, by providing a plug-in directly in BIM architectural software programs. Architects and planners can analyse their design in a very initial phase, by acknowledging the building geometry. The greenBIM solutions simplify the implementation of energy analysis in a digital form, and as such do not require architects and planners to possess additional skills to apply them. Still, if needed, FHNW has implemented lectures about greenBIM in their educational program. greenBIM is also part of SIA courses and additional consultation and training are available free of charge.

The current state of greenBIM enables architects to bring additional information in BIM models in terms of embodied energy and heating demand. This information is added to existing building components, part of the building model. Once this information is provided, calculations, implementing benchmarks for both embodied energy and heating demand are applied and respectively optimization of the design is enabled.

Resources needed​

What are your planned work packages?

The next foreseen step of the development of greenBIM is the implementation of further energy efficiency metrics - cooling demand, warm water demand, lighting, electricity, room usage data. Planned working packages for that are:

• WP1 - Analysis of architectural practices
• WP 2 - Analysis of existing tools
• WP 3 - Analysis of existing energy efficiency standards
• WP 4 - Concept
• WP 5 - Implementation
• WP 6 - Testing

Through the first and the second working packages, the current architectural practices and tools for applying energy efficiency metrics are analysed. The third working package focuses on standards and regulations, providing metrics for the implementation of energy efficiency guidelines and benchmarks. The fourth working package builds upon the previous three and brings them together in a BIM-based concept. Working packages five and six focus on further implementing and testing that concept.

In that way, all the most important energy efficiency aspects are enabled in an initial design stage, giving architects and planners the opportunity to optimize their designs in their common working environments.

How can the Energy Lab help you?​

The Energy Lab is a very strong partner in relation to the different stakeholders, part of the greenBIM proposal. Another very significant aspect of the relationship is the knowledge aggregated in the Energy Lab. The third aspect is a further communication and market potential that the Lab brings.

greenBIM enables optimization criteria for energy efficiency. Currently, greenBIM provides metrics and benchmarks for embodied energy and heating demand. With the help of the Energy Lab Booster, further operational energy aspects are considered, e.g. cooling demand, warm water demand, lighting. In that way, all the most important factors for an initial energy efficiency optimization are enabled in an early design stage through a solution, available for architects in their common working environment.