Integrating BIM with carbon footprint assessment of buildings: A review

Abstract

Climate change is one of the world's majorconcerns today.In addition to being one of the largest energy consumers, the building sector emits substantial amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGS). Globally, the building sector consumes 40% of the annual energy and emits 30% of the GHGS. The effort is therefore made throughout various phases of planning and design to measure emission levels and energy consumption concerning local climate, living culture, ecology, and construction style. To reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions and energy consumption, international research is being carried out to develop a Building Information Modelling (BIM) based detection system that allows easy estimation of CO2 emissions & energy consumption. Such emissions can then be analysed quickly and objectively, and the necessary changes to support energy-efficient design can be implemented. The study focused on the initial stages of design because choices made at this time determine a large portion of a building's life cycle effects and cannot easily be changed afterwards.