The “BIM’s 4D+” Dimension: Real Time Energy Monitoring

Authors

Mahmoud Alahmad, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Wisam Nader, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Adam Brumbaugh, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Yong Cho, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Song Ci, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Hamid Sharif, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jonathan Shi, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jill Neal, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2011

Citation

2011 IEEE GCC Conference and Exhibition (GCC), February 19-22, 2011; doi: 10.1109/IEEEGCC.2011.5752603

Comments

Copyright IEEE 2011. Used by permission.

Abstract

With the current trend towards Building Information Model (BIM), facility managers have a new tool for raising efficiency. This paper discusses the integration of the BIM software with a real-time monitoring (RTM) system, as a 4D+ dimension in BIM, to track the electrical usage at every location in a building. This ability could be invaluable in identifying what unnecessary loads are connected to a device and could be disconnected. This would result in elimination of needless loads and phantom loads during non-business hours, causing significant reduction in energy consumption. A prototype of the RTM was built and the results are in support of reduction in energy consumption. Real-time awareness is a major factor in facility management and essential to meet the strict guidelines presently being adopted.