The Interface Layer of a BIM-IoT Prototype for Energy Consumption Monitoring

Abstract

This paper aims at describing the interface layer of a BIM-IoT prototype. The prototype addresses the gap of BIM Model Use (BMU) for energy monitoring by the integration of BIM Models with building systems’ energy consumption information in real-time. Such integration requires a BIM/Internet of Things (IoT) Interfacing due to the connection between real and virtual environments as well as context awareness demands. Also, the need for a user-centered feedback strategy concerns about the information delivery and display to enhance predictive maintenance activities and facilities managers’ decision-making over Energy Management. The BIM-IoT prototype followed the Design, Development and Evaluation (DDE) steps of the Design Science Research. A pilot implementation at an institutional building restricted to a research laboratory enabled a proof of concept and an analytical assessment of the prototype’s capacities. The existing BIM Record Model demanded changes comprising geometric and non-geometric modeling issues (e.g., assets registers) to receive sensor-based dynamic and actual information, and assure its 2D/3D views and semantic context. We observe that the BIM-IoT prototype is a feasible system to support operational strategies based on facilities managers-centered feedback. It contributes to the predictive maintenance and facilitates the comprehension of building systems status and performance. The prototype acts as an accessible and interactive option for energy consumption monitoring.