# Building Information Modelling and Energy Simulation for Architecture Design
## 2 Methodology of the Study  
This study _starts_ from the idea that BEM can be useful for energy analysis building, but there is some issue due to the lack of bidirectional interaction between BIM and BEM, as _observed_ in literature.  
This paper aims to study a method to carry out energy analysis using these tools. To do this, it was _hypothesized_ to test a combination of two tools (selected after an investigation of some existing tools doing _background research_). They were used to perform the _experiment_ (test) that provides information and data. These latter were analyzed and interpreted to formulate the _results_ by including advantages and disadvantages to performing an energy analysis by using the selected tools. In _conclusion_, the study shows that it is possible to perform energy analysis through the use of BIM, but it needs some improvements.  
The research was conducted in several steps. In the first phase, some of the most common new design tools and the most recent standards for energy analysis were studied. From this first analysis, it was possible to list the disadvantages and the advantages. Once a tool was selected that matched the required characteristics, it was validated using a simple building. Then, an existing building was chosen as a case study to apply the energy analysis methodology in a BIM environment. It was defined through the application of a test model. Figure 1 shows the workflow diagram.  
The studies conducted in the first phase highlighted one of the main problems that hindered the diffusion and use of energy analysis plug-ins in the BIM environment, namely the lack of integration between the parametric architectural model with information content (BIM, Building Information Model) and the energy model (BEM, Building Energy Model). The problem is the possible loss of information during the conversion from BIM to BEM, or worse, the lack of interpretation of the entire model. It is clear that this problem diverges the actual workflow from the characteristic one of BIM, based on the principle of  
Figure 1: Workflow diagram with research framework.  
interoperability, i.e., the possibility that allows different professionals to work and exchange information on a single digital model.  
As said, the lack of integration between BIM and BEM means that, during the energy analysis phase, it is necessary to build a new model or implement the Building Information Model with new information not managed by it.  
Once the objective of the study was defined, we moved on to research and the choice of software suitable for supporting a working methodology that allows full integration between BIM and BEM already in the design phase. Various digital tools for energy analysis were evaluated, and the choice of the software used in this study was determined by the evaluation of some of its specific characteristics, such as the validity of the calculations (with reference to current legislation) and certifications in the BIM field. To verify the validity of the calculations, a sample building with characteristics suitable for evaluating the effectiveness of the software was simulated.  
The last phase of the study was dedicated to applying the digital tool and the methodology defined for the sample model to an existing building. The choice was determined by the value and also by the simplicity of the building, which allows you to control the result of the simulation process more precisely. The simplicity to which reference is made does not concern the spatial and architectural quality of the building or housing, but rather the relationships with the ground and the characteristics of use that allow a more effective control of the results of the BEM energy analysis. The chosen building, in fact, has simple thermal zones, with no particularities (of use or construction) that could alter the calculation of the energy simulation. Finally, based on the detection of the limits and the lacks, some further possible improvements of the tool have been suggested.