BEMTrace: Visualization-driven approach for deriving Building Energy Models from BIM

TL;DR

BEMTrace presents a visualization-driven method for converting Building Information Modeling data into Building Energy Models, improving accuracy, traceability, and user understanding for energy performance analysis.

Contribution

The paper introduces BEMTrace, a novel approach combining data wrangling and visualization to enhance BIM-to-BEM conversion accuracy and transparency.

Findings

Effective error detection and correction in BIM data

Enhanced user understanding through visualization techniques

Validated workflow for accurate BEM generation

Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) describes a central data pool covering the entire life cycle of a construction project. Similarly, Building Energy Modeling (BEM) describes the process of using a 3D representation of a building as a basis for thermal simulations to assess the building's energy performance. This paper explores the intersection of BIM and BEM, focusing on the challenges and methodologies in converting BIM data into BEM representations for energy performance analysis. BEMTrace integrates 3D data wrangling techniques with visualization methodologies to enhance the accuracy and traceability of the BIM-to-BEM conversion process. Through parsing, error detection, and algorithmic correction of BIM data, our methods generate valid BEM models suitable for energy simulation. Visualization techniques provide transparent insights into the conversion process, aiding error identification, validation, and user comprehension. We introduce context-adaptive selections to facilitate user interaction and to show that the BEMTrace workflow helps users understand complex 3D data wrangling processes.