EplusGIT System - Development of a GIT-based Energy Model Management Platform

Building energy modeling typically does not have rigorous model quality control procedures, which not only hurts the accuracy of the model results but also causes more than 90% of modeling projects to fall behind the schedule in the United States. The result is a $300 million loss every year for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. A solution is being developed that introduces an innovative energy model development and management system to the conventional energy modeling process. The development will equip the model with the abilities to intelligently detect and debug potential model errors and automatically update the model with measured building operational changes. The final tool enables the continuous model quality assurance to be available for design professionals, facility managers, and energy code enforcement authorities, saving them time and cost of conducting building energy-related analysis. In Phase I, the development will focus on: 1) establishing a continuous diagnostic framework for the model with debug and healing processes; 2) Establish a cloud-based energy modeling workflow that can be deployed at various energy modeling tasks; and 3) equipping the system with the ability to process hourly and sub-hourly data and dynamically calibrate the energy performance of load-related systems. This work will lead to a total energy efficiency solution in a building’s life cycle. With the developments completed in Phase I, the system will become a central data repository, which can self-manage the integrity of the model and keep the energy model up to date with the design changes or building operation updates. Therefore, at each stage in a building’s life cycle, stakeholders can request and retrieve the model to conduct various analyses such as code compliance, measurement and verification, retrofit analysis and model-based building control. It helps designers and building owners to make rational decisions for their properties, saves energy and utility cost, and reduces the carbon footprint.