openBIM for Daylighting Design & Analyses in respect for Building Energy Performance

Project Stage

Generic: Design (Initial Design Development)

bSI: 4. Outline Conceptual Design

Exchange Participants

Architect, Building Services Engineers, BE Consultant

Landscape Architect and Civil Engineer (optional)

Description

Purpose of Exchange: Establishing architectural baseline for all other disciplines to commence baseline design and systems layouts. The second opportunity to measure potential project performance against baseline requirements.

General Information Requirements (GIRs):

·       Generic depiction of construction systems (e.g., exterior walls, interior walls, floor/ceiling/roof, fenestration locations and extents

·       Space or Room objects depicting 3D extents of inhabitable spaces with required occupancy and psychrometric (human comfort) values for occupant comfort including lighting levels, temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.

·       Exterior design elements that may affect building performance (e.g., shading devices, PV locations)

·       Adjacent context elements which may affect performance (e.g., adjacent buildings, roads, trees, bodies of water and other extensive physical geography)

LOX:

·       Moderate architectural/building element detail – approximate component/system thicknesses, but not detailed component assemblies. Aggregate thermal values and texture/colour depiction of exterior claddings have higher priority;

·       Moderate fenestration element/system detail – generic indication of unitized glazing system types and extents. Performance values and depiction of adjacent shading devices have higher priority

·       Low to moderate adjacent context elements. Accurate size/extents of elements that may affect shading and air flow have priority over material and formal detail

Special properties or attributes: N/A

Software Functionality

Export: BIM-authoring tool for architectural design – IFC ‘reference’ export

Import: BIM-authoring tool for Structural and Building Services (landscape and civil – optional) design – IFC ‘reference’ import of architectural model

BIM viewer for quality assurance / quality checking, validating model has met standard and user-defined exchange requirements – IFC ‘reference’ import of architectural model. Ability to highlight and report errors. Use of standard ‘rulesets’ based on MVD and added user requirements

BEM tool for validating concept – IFC import of architectural model, or a specific subset (e.g., spatial model with Space Boundaries, materials/system performance attributes, and psychrometric values)

Related EMs

EM1, EM2, EM5

Notes

1.     BIM authoring tool should have ability to capture and assign relevant data (performance, cost, classification) to geometry and pass along to BEM and other analysis tools

2.     Some BIM authoring tools may allow for this stage of BEM simulation and analysis to be done internally, but it should be possible to export model data to a separate BEM application for independent simulation and verification of results.

3.     May also be a reiterative process, with multiple versions, before settling on a design strategy that meets all performance, functionality, and investment criteria

Project Stage

Generic: Design (Initial Design Development)

bSI: 4. Outline Conceptual Design

Exchange Participants

Architect, Engineer, BE Consultant, Owner

Description

Purpose of Exchange: Establishing initial building services system design and layout baselines based on initial architectural design. The second opportunity to measure potential project performance against baseline requirements.

General Information Requirements (GIRs):

·       Generic depiction of building services systems (e.g., HVAC, Plumbing, Lighting, Power, Communications, etc.).

·       Generic sizing and location of utility services (e.g., power, water, sewer) including any on-site power generation systems and strategies (e.g., fuel cell, PV, wind, etc.)

·       Space or Room objects depicting 3D extents of inhabitable spaces with required occupancy and psychrometric (human comfort) values for occupant comfort including lighting levels, temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.

·       Energy pricing

LOX:

·       Includes ‘single-line’ or axis delineation of piping and ducting, as well as schematics of central HVAC, power, and comm systems. Initial power and thermal load values.

·       Generic artificial and daylighting schemas

Special properties or attributes: N/A

Software Functionality

Export: BIM-authoring tool for building systems design – IFC ‘reference’ export

Import: BIM-authoring tool for architectural design – IFC ‘reference’ import of building services model(s)

BIM viewer for quality assurance / quality checking, validating model has met standard and user-defined exchange requirements – IFC ‘reference’ import of building services model(s). Ability to highlight and report errors. Use of standard ‘rulesets’ based on MVD and added user requirements

BEM tool for validating concept – IFC import of building services model(s) with architectural model from EM4

Related EMs

EM1, EM2, EM4

Notes

1.     BIM authoring tool should have ability to capture and assign relevant data (performance, cost, classification) to geometry and pass along to BEM and other analysis tools

2.     Some BIM authoring tools may allow for this stage of BEM simulation and analysis to be done internally, but it should be possible to export model data to a separate BEM application for independent simulation and verification of results.

3.     May also be a reiterative process, with multiple versions, before settling on a design strategy that meets all performance, functionality, and investment criteria

4.     Benchmarking requirements can also be included in terms of energy, environmental and economic performance, using key metrics per building type such as the intensity of energy use (EUI) and the energy cost index (ICE), which express the use and cost of energy of the building according to its size, respectively.

Project Stage

Generic: Design

bSI: 6. Coordinated Design & Procurement

Exchange Participants

Architect, Engineer, BE Consultant, General Contractor, Product Manufacturer / Supplier, Owner

Description

Purpose of Exchange: Reiterative process of exchanging domain/discipline models between project design team members to coordinate the geometric and performative aspects of the overall formal design and systems to a high level of detail for costing, procurement, and construction purposes.

General Information Requirements:

·       Specific depiction of construction systems (e.g., exterior walls, interior walls, floor/ceiling/roof, fenestration locations and extents

·       Space or Room objects depicting 3D extents of inhabitable spaces with required occupancy and psychrometric (human comfort) values for occupant comfort including lighting levels, temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.

·       Exterior design elements that may affect building performance (e.g., shading devices, PV locations)

·       Site model and adjacent context elements which may affect performance (e.g., adjacent buildings, roads, trees, bodies of water and other extensive physical geography)

·       Specific depiction of building services systems (e.g., HVAC, Plumbing, Lighting, Power, Communications, etc.).

·       Specific sizing and location of utility services (e.g., power, water, sewer) including any on-site power generation systems and strategies (e.g., fuel cell, PV, wind, etc.)

LOX:

·       High architectural/building element detail – exact component/system thicknesses and detailed component assemblies. High fenestration element/system detail – exact indication of unitized glazing system types and extents. Thermal values and material depiction of each component;

·       Low to moderate site and adjacent context elements. Accurate size/extents of elements that may affect shading and air flow have priority over material and formal detail

·       Specific geometric delineation (cross section sizes, lengths, fitting locations) of piping, ducting, and conduits, as well as mechanical, power, and comm equipment. Specific power, performance, and thermal load values.

·       Specific artificial and daylighting schemas

Special properties or attributes: N/A

Software Functionality

Export: BIM-authoring tool for architectural and building systems design – IFC ‘reference’ export

Import: BIM-authoring tool for architectural and building systems design – IFC ‘reference’ import all models

BIM viewer for quality assurance / quality checking, validating model has met standard and user-defined exchange requirements – IFC ‘reference’ import of all model(s). Ability to highlight and report errors. Use of standard ‘rulesets’ based on MVD and added user requirements

BEM tool for validating concept – IFC import of all model(s)

Related EMs

EM4, EM5

Notes

1.     BIM authoring tool should have ability to capture and assign relevant data (performance, cost, classification) to geometry and pass along to BEM and other analysis tools

2.     Some BIM authoring tools may allow for this stage of BEM simulation and analysis to be done internally, but it should be possible to export model data to a separate BEM application for independent simulation and verification of results.

3.     May also be a reiterative process, with multiple versions, before settling on a design strategy that meets all performance, functionality, and investment criteria

Project Stage

Generic: Pre-Construction (Procurement)

bSI: 6. Coordinated Design & Procurement, 07. Production Information

Exchange Participants

Engineer, BE Consultant, GC, Product Manufacturer / Supplier, Commissioning Agent

Description

Purpose of Exchange: Collection of power and communication requirements for sensors and controls of HVAC, lighting, and any other automated systems which have an influence on thermal performance and occupant comfort

General Information Requirements:

·       System and Device identification

·       IoT Data Protocols

·       IoT Network Protocols

·       IoT Security Protocols/Requirements/Standards (e.g., NIST 800 Series https://www.nist.gov/itl/publications-0/nist-special-publication-800-series-general-information)

LOX:

·       May be equal to EM7 with additional GIRs

Special properties or attributes: N/A

Software Functionality

Export: …

Import: …

Related EMs

EM6, EM7, EM8

COBie

Notes

1.     Consider information from field level (e.g., device specification, geolocation), control level (e.g.,, logical connection, schedules, setpoints) and supervisory level (e.g.,, alarms, events, historical data access).

2.     This EM may also consider the different Building Automation System (BAS) communication protocols, data representations and interfaces (in terms of requirements and software functionalities)

Project Stage

Generic: Pre-Design, Recommissioning / Decommissioning

bSI: 9. Operations & Maintenance, 10. Disposal

Exchange Participants

Architect, Engineer, BE Consultant, Owner

Description

Purpose of Exchange: Collection of geometry and data from existing conditions in making informed decisions related to energy performance in a project recommissioning (also known as retrofit or refurbishment).

General Information Requirements:

·       Climate data

·       Energy costs

·       Adjacent context elements which may affect performance (e.g., adjacent buildings, other extensive physical geography)

·       Spaces and Thermal Zones

·       Occupancy

·       Last 3-5 years bills related to energy consumption

·       Exterior envelope and thermal characteristics of opaque and transparent assemblies

·       Presence and analysis of thermal bridges

·       Restoration works done during the lifetime of the building

·       Structural characteristics of foundations, walls, slabs, etc.

·       Unoccupied spaces such as attics, cellars, etc.

·       Existing Building Services systems (aka MEP – Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing)

·       Renewable energy systems

·       Vertical transport systems (lifts, escalator, etc.)

·       Artificial lighting and daylighting systems

·       Mandatory building codes and standards

·       Mandatory energy efficiency standards and/or performance improvement incentives

·       Former certifications such as:

·       Building permit authorization / occupancy permit

·       Historical preservation / protection

·       Energy / sustainability performance certificate (e.g., LEED, BREAM, etc.)

·       Structural suitability

·       …

LOX: The level of information of an existing building could be very accurate via LIDAR survey, but during a preliminary energy analysis it is useless to have such a detailed geometric model as it considers only the volumes enclosed by walls, ceiling, windows, etc. Most BIM and BEM applications require the translation to rationalized 3D models with regularized surfaces and semantic definitions.

Special properties or attributes: N/A

Software Functionality

Export: Point cloud data from LIDAR scanning (point cloud)  of existing conditions

Import: Point clouds

Related EMs

EM1, EM2, EM3

COBie

Notes

1.     Historical buildings are usually very different from each other as much as modern structures. Typical software parametric features are not usable for modelling and energy analysis, as the physical and thermal characteristics are very different from modern structures. For this reason, a new database for the definition of these characteristic is recommended. The structure of this data base should be based on the same standards used for bSDD.

2.     Some ESCos may require, during the preliminary analysis, interviews with occupants for the correct sizing of HVAC to meet the needs of the occupants.

3.     When dealing with an existing building, especially if the building is historical, the drawings deposited in the different authorization offices seldom coincide with the existing conditions. When the documentation is insufficient or not reliable, it is necessary a survey with the use of laser scanning (LIDAR) and/or photogrammetry to acquire reliable geometric data. This can then be integrated with any energy performance parameters necessary for energy simulation.

4.     Existing building services systems may need to be identified by manual survey and entered into a BIM system to find any possible improvement and/or constraints to use more efficient technologies.

5.     Any normative and cultural protection constraints must be documented to avoid disallowed interventions