Using BIM to improve building energy efficiency-A scientometric and systematic review

The Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) sector is responsible for a great proportion of the global energy consumption and associated environmental impacts. On this front, and from a sustainability improvement perspective, the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) capabilities could represent an opportunity to improve these impacts in all steps of a building's life. The main purpose of the current paper is to identify the areas in which BIM technology can or already is playing a role in improving building efficiency, helping AECO sector stakeholders in reducing environmental impacts. In the current paper, the impact of using BIM to enhance the building energy efficiency is explored through a scientometric analysis and a systematic literature review. There is a high interest among the scientific community in these fields, given the recent rise in publications and citation numbers. Moreover, there is a lack of interoperability between BIM and energy analysis tools, a high potential for integrating BIM with other technologies, such as thermography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and monitoring, and a very positive impact from the use of BIM in the optimisation of construction solutions which allow energy savings in the AECO sector. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper examines the application of BIM technology in improving building energy efficiency, highlighting the lack of interoperability between BIM and energy analysis tools, the potential for integration with other technologies, and the positive impact of BIM in optimizing construction solutions for energy savings in the AECO sector.