SATO, a European research project that aims to create a self-assessment and optimization platform for integrating building energy data, has used BIM technology for a new program that collects and represents energy data in a 3D model
The BIM-powered tool is designed to make it easier to carry out analysis and maintenance of buildings by providing a 3D graphical representation of energy performance.
Pablo Gilabert, director of innovation at CYPE, the company responsible for developing the app, said: “This visualisation clearly identifies the energy performance and comfort of each part of the building, facilitating the decision-making process aimed at improving its performance.”
He added that the challenge addressed by the project has “not only been able to generate digital twins with data from a multitude of sensors and BIM models but also to process this information to favour a self-assessment to optimize the energy performance of the building”.
3D, real-time energy visualization
To make this possible, the initiative has also developed a platform for collecting and storing data from sensors installed in buildings of different uses, as well as other consumption-related information such as energy bills.
In the cloud, the information is adapted to a common data structure so that the Open BIM SATO program, integrated in the BIMserver.center, can represent them in 3D models.
The visualization represents the state of the building in real-time, depending on its use.
“This solution tries to go beyond the purely flat representation of information linked to sensors in a room or an appliance. We can now process this information and represent it in 3D with a certain color code to help users identify the weak points of their installation or building,” Gilabert said.
“The app makes it possible to see the CO2 concentration, temperature or humidity of a room, as well as the occupancy or consumption of the building or a specific appliance in a graphic and three-dimensional way, which facilitates the understanding of the data and the identification of improvement actions.
“This application represents a qualitative leap in the way of managing and analysing the energy performance of buildings. Professionals can now make more informed and accurate decisions thanks to a clear and detailed visualization of the data.”
At the same time, this program incorporates features for optimising the placement of these sensors in the design phase to obtain rigorous data about the space where they are located.
“Placing temperature sensors near façades, air conditioning grilles or at a certain height can affect the accuracy of the data collected,” Gilabert said.
The SATO project
The SATO project was set up to develop a cloud-based platform that uses IoT sensors integrated with traditional building management systems and smart devices to perform self-assessment and optimization of energy consumption in a building.
The platform will use an AI approach combined with 3D BIM-based visualization to provide an accurate picture of real-life energy performance of buildings and appliances.
The project is led by FCiências.ID, the Association for Research & Development of Sciences at the University of Lisbon in Portugal.
Its consortium comprises 15 members from seven European Union countries: Austria, Denmark, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
CYPE is the Spanish representative and is charged with developing the program for visualizing data in a BIM environment.
The research, which will end next September, has a budget of over €7m, of which €5.87m is funded by the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.
