BIM-VE-Based Optimization of Green Building Envelope from the Perspective of both Energy Saving and Life Cycle Cost

Abstract

In the context of the increasingly severe energy crisis and global warming, green buildings and their energy-saving issues are being paid more attention in the world. Since envelope optimization can significantly reduce the energy consumption of green buildings, value engineering (VE) technology and building information modeling (BIM) technology are used to optimize the envelope of green buildings, which takes into account both energy saving and life cycle cost. The theoretical framework of optimization for green building envelope based on BIM-VE is proposed, including a BIM model for architecture, a life cycle cost analysis model, energy-saving analysis model, and a value analysis model. In the life-cycle cost model, a mathematical formula for the life-cycle cost is established, and BIM technology is used to generate a bill of quantity. In the energy-saving analysis model, a mathematical formula for energy saving is established, and BIM technology is used for the building energy simulation. In the scheme decision-making sub-model, VE technology integrating life cycle cost with energy saving is used to assess the envelope schemes and select the optimal one. A prefabricated project case is used to simulate and test the established methodology. The important results show that the 16 envelope schemes make the 16 corresponding designed buildings meet the green building evaluation standards, and the optimal envelope scheme is the “energy-saving and anti-theft door + exterior window 2+ floor 1+ exterior wall 1 + inner shear wall + inner partition wall 2 + planted roof” with the value 10.80 × 10−2 MW·h/ten thousand yuan. A significant finding is that the value generally rises with the increase of energy-saving rate while the life cycle cost is irregular with the increase of energy-saving rate. Compared with previous efforts in the literature, this study introduces VE technology into architectural design to further expand the current boundary of building energy-saving theory. The findings and suggestions will provide a valuable reference and guidance for the architectural design industry to optimize the envelope of green buildings from the perspective of both energy saving and life cycle cost.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Capabilities in the Operation and Maintenance Phase of Green Buildings: A Systematic Review

“…The BIM database should collect the lifecycle energy information in standard format for each material, facilitating the account of energy lifecycle consumption of different materials in the energy-sustainable retrofit process [90]. Yuan et al [91] proposed a BIM-VE-based optimization method to verify which green building envelopes conform to the requirements of green building standards and compare the expenditure (lifecycle cost) of different green building optimization plans. In addition to these, with the combination of BIM and photovoltaics, it can automatically adjust the power supplied by the PV panels with monitoring in real time of the energy usage and energy surplus, thus reducing energy costs and improving the occupants' comfort [71].…”

“…According to the literature review of Section 3, the BIM simulation influences the aspects of safety and emergency management, energy management, retrofit and renovation, and space management. From the perspective of energy management, the light, heat, radiation, ventilation, temperature, humidity, and terrain of the indoor and surrounding environment can be simulated through BIM utilization, thus speculating the energy consumption based on this information [75,76,78,[81][82][83]91]. In this process, by integrating the indoor and surrounding environment, building-related characteristics (location, material, orientation, etc.…”

Mapping the Knowledge Domains of Emerging Advanced Technologies in the Management of Prefabricated Construction

“…Other keywords that most frequently co-occurred with prefabrication included modular construction, BIM, construction, point cloud, sustainability, innovation, lean construction, IoT and genetic algorithm. The clusters and connecting lines between keyword nodes in Figure 5 show these main research areas in EAT related to MPC: (1) EAT research in MPC is often linked to BIM [8,24], which is in the same cluster with RFID [10][11][12]22,[45][46][47][48][49][50] and energy saving [51]; (2) EAT in MPC does not simply apply to modular construction [52,53] but involves off-site construction [54]; (3) EAT in MPC is also widely used in prefabricated construction for construction project management [55], supply chain management [56] and digital construction using IoT [57], and literature review is one of the main research methods used in investigating EAT related to MPC. Some scholars have also studied the status quo of EAT research in the MPC field through the form of literature review [58,59]; (4) Point cloud [60], laser scanning using lidar and photogrammetry [61,62] and machine learning [63] are used in the construction progress monitoring [64] and quality control [65] of prefabricated construction; (5) Genetic algorithm is also used to optimise structural design and sustainable design in prefabrication [66,67]; (6) 3D printing and deep learning are also gradually applied in the MPC field for digital construction, promoting the transformation of the traditional construction industry to construction automation [58,68,69]; (7) Simulation is also often used in the MPC field for life cycle assessment...…”

How BIM Contributes to a Building’s Energy Efficiency throughout Its Whole Life Cycle: Systematic Mapping

“…The integration of BIM and energy analysis is essential in designing and developing highly energy-efficient buildings [19,35]. Combining BIM and value engineering technologies optimizes the green building envelope in terms of energy savings and life cycle costs [36]. Integrating LCA with BIM during the conceptual stage enables the designers to evaluate the building's environmental performance during its life cycle [37].…”