Energy Life Cycle Analysis of a Residential Building with the Help of BIM in Different Climates of Iran

Abstract

With energy resource scarcity and energy crisis in the world, energy efficiency has become a subject of great importance. In warm and humid climates along with cold and mountainous ones, annual energy consumption is too high to achieve desirable living conditions in built environments, and hence energy efficiency measures and practices in such buildings is of utmost priority. Given the direct relationship of amount energy consumption and comfort level of occupants in residential buildings, energy saving and energy efficiency are of increasing importance specifically in the residential sector. In this study, a combination of building information modeling (BIM) and building performance modeling (BPM) is applied to identify appropriate dimensions and building materials to reduce energy in the lifecycle of a building. To perform this modeling, we evaluated various software applications employed in different studies and after identifying their advantages and disadvantages, finally Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Ecotect were chosen. Moreover, suitable building materials and optimum sizes are computed corresponding to different weather conditions and climates in Iran. In another part of this study, the breakdown of energy consumption in the commercial and residential areas in Iran is examined. Given the 38% share of space heating in total building energy consumption, the essential role of thermal insulation of external walls is emphasized. The effect of insulating in this region is calculated and marked applying simulation of energy consumption. Utilizing a suitable insulation system, can save 35% in lifecycle energy consumption.