The Application of CIM and BIM to the Simulation of Energy in Urban Superblocks; an Effort to Develop the Initial Digital Twins (Case Studies: Kermanshah, Iran)

Abstract

The integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information System (GIS) and the suggested notion of digital twins enabled buildings to be energy-efficient in terms of consumption and generation. The study employs a real-world simulation with a low level of detail to examine several types of urban superblocks and their energy use. This research presents a unique approach for integrating urban information based on two-dimensional GIS data and a three-dimensional BIM model. The research approach used in this study is a comparison of the types of urban blocks and energy, which is considered for early energy studies instead of optimising the urban configuration. Several archetypes of blocks were modelled, analysed and then studied on three levels: electrical energy, fossil fuel and energy. The study’s conclusion implies that optimisation techniques can be used in the comparative approach. While studying these various methods consumes a significant amount of time and energy, archetype evaluation consumes far less. Finally, the results reveal significant reductions in energy use in urban buildings of up to 20% compared to the ASHRAE standard model with a modest degree of detail. The results of this research may be used in the early stages of urban design in terms of superblock pattern selection.