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BPS tasks within the design and operation process

Design

This phase covers the entire planning process up to the building permit. Although this is the major milestone and marks the successful completion of a design, it is not the only goal. The aim is to develop the entire concept and optimize economic efficiency and energy performance.

And this is where the BPS specialist comes into play. The rough course was already set in the pre-design and many assumptions have already been made. These, as well as the set goals, are now being substantiated and pursued further. Now it's on to the details. With the architect's first draft, the simulation model is now being reproduced 1:1 according to the plan and the first results can already be compared with the previously set goals. Many planning options can be examined and continuously optimized according to the defined target functions (cost-effectiveness, user comfort and ecological performance):

• building materials and insulation thicknesses
• choice of windows and shading systems
• concept decisions for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting
• use of photovoltaics and other renewable energy sources
• building automation

Another very important benefit of the BPS is the dimensioning of system components, which, strictly speaking, is a special case of optimization. Carried out with BPS, it has been proven to save a huge amount of money compared to dimensioning without BPS. The higher level of predictability means that safety margins do not have to be as high. Room heaters and coolers, energy storage, heat exchangers, heat and cooling generators, air handling units and their components can be reduced in size by up to half.

Once an optimized design has been found, the same model can be used to analyse sensitivities such as the resilience of a building system to extreme weather conditions, overuse or misuse. It also supports many small decisions that have to be made during the design process: Whether sun protection on the north side makes sense, what would happen if ventilation openings were reduced in size, how much influence a possible cost-saving measure would have on user comfort and on energy performance, whether there may be humidity problems in unheated rooms in summer, what effect a product with properties that deviate from the planning can have on the function and performance of the overall system, how easy or how complex it would be to adjust the control system when it is put into operation, etc.

At the end of the design phase, the creation of the BPS model pays off, as it can now be used to verify for all code compliance and certificates at the touch of a button.

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