POWERTWIN
Year: 2023 | Promoters: MINISTERIO DE INDUSTRIA, COMERCIO Y TURISMO / PLAN DE RECUPERACIÓN, TRANSFORMACIÓN Y RESILIENCIA / NEXT GENERATION EU
Firms: Smartech Cluster / Innovasturias / BIM6D / CT Solutions / Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya / Cactus IoT
PROJECT EXPLANATION - VIDEO SHOWCASE
POWERTWIN is a Digital Twin ecosystem project that integrates different processes, devices and applications, whose objective is to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of the building to which it is applied.
By managing intelligent systems to monitor, control and optimize sustainability and energy management indicators (Level(s) and nZEB), it helps to improve the use of spaces, systems and operation and maintenance processes during the life cycle of assets.
The project is based on standard regulations and indicators to seek to improve the behavior of the asset, optimizing the consumption and production of energy and use of spaces and increasing the hygrothermal comfort of users.
Using BIM models in combination with the use of artificial intelligence to improve the main indicators for Level(s) and nZEB frameowrks (energy efficiency, renewable systems, sustainability and interior confort) that affect 70% of the European built park, which is obsolete and inefficient, responsible for 40 % of CO2 emissions, is a key objective for POWERTWIN project.
Frederic Gil, Head of Smart Engineering department in BIM6D, expains:
POWERTWIN project, is the brain of our digital twin platform POWERBIM, the first visible version of our internal research work with a tangible purpose: to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of existing assets (buildings and infrastructures) by 30%, thanks to the development and integration of several technologies:
- BIM / GIS digitization
- Simulations and value engineering applied to energy, comfort and sustainability of buildings and infrastructures
IoT: we have created a robust cloud infrastructure that allows monitoring, storing, processing and analyzing data in real time from any system - Artificial Intelligence – Data Science. We have incorporated a DataLakehouse system in the Microsoft Azure cloud, which allows us to process, compare and predict results from massive combined IoT data and simulations (real vs. ideal) and where we can work with “data discovery” techniques, ” predictive simulations” applying data science in cloud services and the determination of deviations that generate events (alarms) of the indicators
- Data visualization on the digital twin: The result of the AI development in POWERBIM is displayed both in dashboards (Power BI Reports) and in automatically generated incidents (which are displayed in openBIM BCF format and can be integrated into a CMMS system) and also on the BIM model in the form of heat maps, highlighting the zones of interest for each indicator analyzed.
See the published interview of the project collaborators (Smarte Tech Cluster / Innovasturias / CAD Tech / Cactus Iot / UPC – Politectnic University of Catalonia:
In POWERTWIN project multiple technologies, some disruptive, have been integrated to improve the behavior of assets by creating an intelligent cyber-physical ecosystem adaptable and replicable in existing buildings to transform them into efficient assets. energetically, sustainable and adequate in terms of “wellness” (health and well-being of indoor conditions), which guarantee compliance with the European nZEB and Level(s) standards.
These technologies and methods to reach the goal are summarized below:
● Development of a digital BIM model, following ISO 19650 and openBIM standards, using IFC models and BCF open format collaboration
● Development of simulations on the BIM model, using energy modeling with appropriate tools (Matlab and others) to obtain the ideal state of the building and work areas, pursuing the objectives of the nZEB (almost zero energy buildings) and Level(s) frameworks (sustainability), in such a way that we manage to have hourly data in an annual period, of multiple variables, to later be contrasted with the real data of the UPC Gaia building.
● Sensorization of work spaces with IoT technology for the variables of interior comfort and energy consumption, as well as the occupation of interior spaces based on their use, to obtain the real values of the building for a determined period of time.
● Use of data science with data discovery, thanks to the deployment of a DataLakeHouse system (hybrid between datalake and data warehouse) in which we will be able to work with a large volume of data as is the case, and be able to structure and organize, store , process and analyze in an advanced and automated way, the two sources of data (simulation and real data) to be able to compare them, detect behavior patterns and trends, have control of deviations as well as establish notifications for these deviations based on kpi values .
● Integration of the results of the data systems, simulation, real-time monitoring and data discovery in the POWERBIM digital twin platform, which integrates the leading platform in Power BI data analytics to BIM models, which provides an environment understandable by end users to visualize the data, generate visualization panels and data analytics, and use the BIM model for asset management based on the energy efficiency and sustainability objectives pursued.