Libro del Edificio Electrónico (LdE-e): Advancing towards a Comprehensive Tool for the Management and Renovation of Multifamily Buildings in Spain

Abstract

In 2018, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) introduced Building Renovation Passports (BRP) to enable buildings to scale energy performance through a Scheduled Renovations Roadmap (SRR). The Digital Building Logbook (DBL) was introduced in 2021 as a repository of relevant building data to facilitate informed decision-making and information sharing among stakeholders. In Spain, both tools (DBL + SRR) have been studied separately in an incipient way. However, the interconnection of data in the tools come from the same document base. Evidence suggests that when building information is used in isolation, its value is diluted without stakeholder awareness. In this paper, we move towards unifying both tools (DBL+SRR) in a single comprehensive tool called the Libro del Edificio Electrónico (LdE-e), with the aim of producing a single building database to drive multi-building renovations. For this purpose, the data fields of existing building information, assessment and management tools in Spain were studied in detail and reinterpreted in a new interconnected data structure. To evaluate the formulation of the LdE-e proposal, 11 semi-structured interviews were held with a panel of 13 experts specialized in real estate, building and energy efficiency. After these sessions, the LdE-e was reformulated, and the model was strengthened by analyzing vectors such as governance, management, usability, data flows, stakeholders and the impact of including new technologies such as BIM and blockchain. The results suggest that the LdE-e would improve control of the operation and maintenance of (new or existing) buildings, the programming of renovation actions based on deficits identified in technical inspections, and other aspects.

Towards the Definition of a European Digital Building Logbook: A Survey

“…In "Libro del Edificio Electrónico (LdE-e): Advancing towards a Comprehensive Tool for the Management and Renovation of Multifamily Buildings in Spain" [19], the authors introduce a novel approach by combining two tools, the DBL and the Scheduled Renovations Roadmap (SRR), a tool for planning and managing building renovations, providing a strategic roadmap for scheduled improvements, into a unified tool called the Libro del Edificio Electrónico (LdE-e). The main objective is to create a comprehensive building database that facilitates large-scale renovations across multiple buildings.…”

“…BIM4EEB 19 focuses on providing a multidisciplinary and interoperable toolkit based on BIM for building renewal processes. In this context, the DBL is stored within the BIMMS, and it could be accessed directly from it.…”

“…Another important analysis is shown in [19], where an inspection is conducted at the national level in Spain aiming to identify the data sources for the LdE-e formalisation. In this article, the authors identified the following data sources.…”

“…Future research on the Spain logbook LdE-e presented in [19] should focus on different topics, including investigating the cost and financing aspects, addressing regulatory barriers, adapting legislation to accommodate the LdE-e, establishing an effective governance structure, exploring BIM implementation policies, and, mainly, in integrating additional data packages such as financial analysis and value increase evaluations to enhance the logbook's services for owners, public administration, and stakeholders in the sustainable real estate market.…”

Towards Intergenerational Transfer to Raise Awareness about the Benefits and Co-Benefits of Energy Retrofits in Residential Buildings

“…Empowering families and communities through this platform is crucial to facilitate intergenerational knowledge transfer on the significance of energy rehabilitation in buildings. The LES platform was generated with information from the results of predecessor projects by the LES team (EnerValor, Smart Rehabilitation 3.0 [87,88], EnerValor 2 [89,90] and ZEMedS [91]) and new solar-tensed protections for sustainable educational architecture workshops [3].…”