Abstract
Selecting a suitable heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system is critical, because it impacts a building’s life cycle cost (LCC). Several factors affect the selection decision, such as quality, buildability, internal and external building appearance, HVAC size and weight, and LCC. These criteria are difficult to measure, as they are not based on agreed measurement units. Another challenging factor in the selection process is assessing the building’s function/performance and determining its HVAC needs. Currently, the decision depends mostly on expert knowledge, and there is no agreed-upon systematic method to follow. This paper aims to develop a systematic model for selecting HVAC systems based on the value engineering (VE) concept. The model identified fourteen criteria based on an agreed standard test for objective criteria and a typical evaluation for subjective criteria. These HVAC criteria were assessed using a combination of the AHP, pairwise, function analysis system (FAST), and Monte Carlo techniques. As a result, a complete model was developed to enhance the selection process, programmed within the building information modeling (BIM) environment platform. Several HVAC experts were interviewed and more than twenty expert opinions were collected to validate the model. In addition, a case study building in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was implemented using the programmed HVAC selection model for validation purposes. The programmed model can significantly facilitate the selection process for designers.
Highlights
The critical procurement process for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigerant (HVAC&R) systems can irritate decision-makers, as buildings contribute about40% of global energy consumption [1]
Revit ensures that external functions can be added to the building information modeling (BIM) model through what is known as an application programming interface (API)
This paper proposes a systematic approach to selecting the HVAC system with the highest value
Summary
The critical procurement process for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigerant (HVAC&R) systems can irritate decision-makers, as buildings contribute about. A systematic and efficient approach to assessing HVAC systems is necessary in order to select the best alternative for a given building To analyze these criteria, value engineering (VE) is utilized in this study to select the best HVAC system when designing a building. Sustainability 2022, 14, 2126 any design option or material with the maximum value index in order to determine the material quality and to consider building function over life cycle cost (LCC). The contributions of the study to the body of knowledge are as follows: definitions of fourteen agreed-upon criteria based on the Saudi market, measured based on a standard test and quantitative subjective scale; weighting of criteria ranking and importance, based on consultations with several specialist experts, for office buildings (one of thirteen identified building types); development of a forecast HVAC and LCC model using Monte Carlo techniques; and development of an automated model to integrate the proposed model with. This automated HVAC selection model can assist designers and building owners in making informed decisions when selecting the best choice among various HVAC options
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