This report describes the work conducted in TIMEPAC:
- To study the existing methods to generate Energy Performance Certificates from BIM models.
- To examine the possibilities of interlinking EPC and BIM databases
A survey was conducted to find out the current use of BIM software to generate energy performance certificates in six EU countries represented in the consortium. The survey was structured in two parts: one focused on BIM technology and energy efficiency, and the second on EPC generation. The responses from the partner organisations provided information on the current status of BIM use in each country, the software used for thermal calculation, as well as the tools for calculating the EPC. Survey participants gave answers based on their own experience and also on information obtained from reports and white papers.
The responses show that BIM is starting to be used for energy certification in some countries, although the technology is not yet widespread. HVAC design programs are more advanced than EPC generation software, as most of them can generate outputs that can be connected to BIM technology. In addition, they use hourly calculation methods that provide more accurate results. The survey results also show that in all countries, the EPCs generated by the IT tools are in XML format and can be uploaded to databases.