Development of an Energy Based BIM Program at the Pennsylvania State University

Tabitha Sprau Coulter, Penn State University
Craig Dubler, Ph.D., Penn State University

Energy audits and energy models play a critical role in retrofit projects. Together, they provide the design team and the owner with important insight about how the building is currently operating. Similarly, they allow the team to evaluate retrofit feasibility and potential energy conservation measures (ECM's). However, there currently lack standards for the audit process means that incomplete or inaccurate data is sometimes collected. The lack of complete or correct data directly affects the accuracy of the energy models. Energy model accuracy is a point of concern for industry members and building owners alike. For this reason, they often employ retrofit upgrades that are easy to install with a high, relatively predictable return on investment.

Each year, the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) receives a budget which is distributed between various retrofit projects. Penn State faces the challenge of evaluating which retrofit upgrades will have the greatest impact. This presentation will outline Penn State's decision process and criteria for selecting energy based retrofit project. The research will also explore the variability of energy audit reports Penn State receive for retrofit projects. Variability surrounding the energy audit reports has produced obstacles and made it difficult for Penn State to select the appropriate company for the project and the proper retrofit scope. Audit report standards which make it easier for Penn State to compare incoming audit reports will be summarized. The presentation will conclude with a recommended energy program for multi-facility owners that includes a review of how BIM can be filtered into usable energy data.

Biographies:

After receiving her M.S. Degree in Architectural Engineering from Penn State University, Tabitha Sprau Coulter spent time working as a Mechanical Engineer for KlingStubbins. Tabitha has recently returned to PSU as a Ph.D. candidate. She is currently working with the Navy Yard EEB Hub to develop a retrofit specific user interface that will be used to collect initial building data. The iPad application will be used to collect data when performing screening audits and will feed that data into analytical tools. Tabitha's personal research is focused on improving baseline energy models and the benchmarking efforts for the retrofit building sector. Improving the accuracy of the baseline energy models will enable building owners to make more informed energy based retrofit decisions.

Dr. Dubler is a Virtual Facilities Engineer for the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) as well as Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Architectural Engineering Department at Penn State. Upon completion of his undergraduate and master's degree, Craig worked for two general contractors in the Washington D.C. area. After several years of industry experience, Craig returned to Penn State for his doctorate degree to gain further knowledge of the trending implementation of BIM. Craig played an integral part in the development of the BIM Project Execution Planning Guide: a planning resource that assists team members with the use of BIM throughout the lifecycle of a facility. Upon completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Dubler transitioned to the Office of Physical Plant and continues to teach and advise future industry members. Dr. Dubler is also the faculty advisor for the student chapter of the Design-Build Institute (DBIA) of America at Penn State and an active member of the DBIA BIM committee.

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