Hybrid Approach to Visualize Building Energy Information Model in Geospatial Application Programs

A methodology is introduced which can visualize non-invasively measured energy efficiency of existing buildings through easily accessible web-based geospatial programs such as Google Earth™ and Bing Map™. The disconnect between existing high performance building information and the willingness of decision makers to understand such information is likely due to the complexity of building systems and the lack of adequate feedback loops between decision makers and outcomes associated with the different stages of the building lifecycle. In this study, a hybrid thermal laser scanner was used to measure 3D geometry of a building and thermal performance of the building envelop. Several technical challenges in transferring a scanned model into a geospatial application were discussed. A preliminary field test on a residential house was conducted with promising results. The visualized building’s thermal performance through easily accessible web-based geospatial programs can make the processes of building energy audit and retrofit decision making easier.