The scope of the project is to identify open interoperable BIM IFC standards and IoT solutions to support Digital twin based Energy Management Systems (EMS) of public real estate assets.

These objectives are necessary to set up, and validate, energy policies that are based on data coming from different parties. At the same time, it is necessary to secure that data exchanged by connected devices refer to common protocols to ensure that they are machine readable and understood by users. The project proposes to analyze the harmonization of energy and building data referring to the IFC ISO 16739 data model. By doing so it is possible to produce standardized energy consumption analysis by square meter or building use, define common frameworks to share signals with Iot systems and publish them on mobile devices to make users more responsible.

The project will be dedicated to the study of information standards (IFC ISO 16739) and available technologies (BACnet – Modbus – Dali – Lonworks – Konnex) to perform the following experiments:

-        conduct data harmonization processes on energy audits and consumption analyses;

-        test BMS system installations implemented by reading IFC-based data models;

-        activate data exchange platforms created through Iot systems that are also accessible by users via digital twins.

The project is based on the possibility of testing BMS/BACS systems and EMS platforms currently activated in public buildings. This will lead to the definition of import-export protocols with IoT and BMS systems using IFC building databases aimed at verifying the correct compilation of data to control plant performance, remote activation, and publication of data from sensors via digital twin. Information exchange standards will help to monitor consumptions and energy management system (EMS) of real estate assets referred to specific building characteristics and actual user profiles.

This standardization is today strongly requested by operators of the construction industry (Institutions - Companies - System producers – Engineering companies - Users and Managers).

At a regulatory level, the project heals a vacuum linked to the request to implement open BIM standards in public procurement (DM 560/17). At current days there is no shared reference for the interpretation of data generated by EMS. Evaluating consumption on harmonized data allows for the results of different energy policies to be compared, and this is a keystone to implement energy policies for Smart Grids.