BIM a Driver for Energy Transition and BIVP Adoption
Abstract
According to the European Commission, Europe's energy transition is well underway and the continent is on track to reach its 2020 targets in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Meanwhile, Switzerland pursues an ambitious energy transition strategy which will be implemented until 2050. The common issue is that in the future renewable energy sources will inevitably be needed to satisfy the world-wide energy transition and demand, knowing that the most available and affordable source of clean energy is solar energy. Moreover, the building sector is responsible for over 40% of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Europe. Improvements in the design, construction or operation of buildings entail the use of new materials and technologies and the introduction of new production and management methods. Practically, the most important technical challenges toward energy-efficient buildings are twofold: - Bioclimatic architecture and construction, using eco-friendly sources. The bioclimatic design concept emerged involving the development of theoretical principles to ensure favorable microclimatic conditions for human comfort by means of architectural and natural elements like solar energy. Today photovoltaic elements are mostly placed on rooftops. However, in large urban regions there is little space for solar parks and rooftops are already occupied with solar systems or have to serve other needs. In contrast to roof surface areas, building façades offer large spaces that are not utilized yet. The building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market has experienced a considerable growth in the past decades and a continuous expansion is expected for the following years. In the framework of an increasingly demanding legislation related to energy performance in buildings, the integration of photovoltaic systems in the building skin offers many possibilities and has a key role to play towards bioclimatic buildings. The inclusion of BIPV elements at the early design phases of new or retrofitted buildings, however, requires the availability of appropriate software tools which focus on the specific features of this technology, considering the interaction and synergies between PV products and building energy performance, at different levels: simple tools for non-experts, providing efficiency in the design definition. - BIM-based architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) process to support the visualization and management of a building's performance, demonstrating a method for the capture, collation and linking of data stored across the currently disparate BIM and building management system (BMS) data environments. The BIM (Building Information Modelling) technology is expected to support the creation of beautifully integrated habitable spaces in harmony with nature & utilizing natural resources to reduce or even produce excess energy. BIM tools for designers, with a large library of pre-configured BIPV modules can be integrated into building projects at the very early stage. The simulation and calculation software within the BIM methodology are relevant in designing green buildings because they provide projected qualitative and quantitative results of the building’s performance.