As climate change intensifies, extreme weather such as heatwaves, drought, floods had impacted countries all over the world. To survive natural disaster threats, 196 parties around the globe had set up a landmark agreement signed in Paris on 2015 to aim limit on global warming with internationally agreed 1.5°C. EU made an announcement of legislative instrument EPBD (Energy Performance of Building Directive) aiming to promote improvement of the energy performance of buildings and create stable environment by remodeling 2% of all buildings each year. Also, world leaders and global conglomerates have announced their commitments toward Net zero emission to minimize impacts of climate change.
With such basis, rules and regulation towards buildings and construction has been reinforced more than ever. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that the buildings and construction industry represent an estimated 37% of global operational energy and process-related CO2 emissions. As a result, industry stakeholders are taking interest and contributing towards BEMS (Building Energy Management System) which is considered to be one of the most eco-friendly efforts. BEMS is a system that monitors and controls building’s energy needs and optimize energy efficiency by collecting and analyzing various information from energy management, construction materials and more in real time.
Through newly applied digital twin technology, latest BEMS boasts of enhanced technology. ‘E8IGHT’, a simulation-based digital twin platform company established in 2012 South Korea, is in operation to commercialize BEMS using digital twin technology. E8IGHT is taking part in developing BEMS from pre-post design management and operation stages. On pre-design stage, building system and specifics can be analyzed so that solutions can be planned through monitoring and prediction of energy used in the past. Energy efficiency is possible even in weather factors such as sunlight and fine dust, through collecting and utilizing data on HVAC (Heat Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), air quality and more. With the implementation of digital twin technology E8IGHT’s BEMS is to provide in depth precision and high performance in real like scenario modeling technology for floors and sectors which are visualized in 3D model.
Digital twin BEMS allows building stakeholders to gain benefits regarding building maintenance and more. Building owners can respond to zero carbon regulations and manage financial risks, while construction workers can manage on-site performance from equipment and building life cycle through centralization, systemization, and visualization of information. Residents can experience indoor comfort through systematic air conditioning, and optimal evacuation route with safety management system, established through digitized virtual space and simulation. Digital twin BEMS can be implemented not only in energy consuming buildings such as hotels, commercial factories, office buildings but also in hospitals, research institutes and more with no limitless boundary.
E8IGHT’s digital twin technology is also adaptable in smart city and natural disaster simulation. E8IGHT became the digital twin navigator of South Korea’s first national pilot smart city, Sejong and Busan Eco Delta city. Over the past 10 years E8IGHT had successfully developed and commercialized the technology through in-house R&D without depending on foreign technology. E8IGHT thrives to play an innovative role in coming era of digital transformation.
