Preliminary investigation of the use of Sankey diagrams to enhance building performance simulation-supported design

Building performance simulation (BPS) is a powerful tool for assessing the performance of unbuilt buildings to improve their design. However, numerous obstacles resulting from limited resources of designers and poor presentation of results reduce the applicability of BPS to design practice. This paper introduces the concept of using Sankey diagrams to represent building energy performance data obtained from BPS tools. While being simple upon first examination Sankey diagrams are complex and reveal many questions that BPS tool users should be considering, including: appropriate spatial and temporal boundaries and model resolution; and it answers questions about how a particular design aspect or technology integrates into the whole building. The paper is a first investigation into the suitability of the application of Sankey diagrams as a tool to communicate BPS data to building designers.