BIM-BEM support tools for early stages of zero-energy building design

Due to the Energy Performance of Building Directive 2010/31/UE (EPBD) recast, new and existing buildings have the aim to achieve the Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs) requirements, in order to reduce the carbon emission and the energy building demand. Therefore, the building process cost is increasing, related to the applications of performant construction and efficiencies energy systems. In literature, several studies highlight the importance of innovative approaches in order to reduce the cost of the ZEB targets achievement, during the early stage design process. In this framework, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a useful process that integrated building design since the first design stage, providing high-performance energy solutions and obtaining a single model reducing time and cost during the building design. In fact, in Italy, the regulatory obligations are progressively defined: with the Ministerial Decree 560 of 1 December 2017 (Baratono Decree), the time scale with which the obligation to use BIM will come into force has been established. The obligation started from 1 January 2019 for public tenders for an amount equal to or greater than 100 million euros, then there will be a gradual entry up to 2025 for public works contracts worth less than one million. The research proposes a new workflow that allows to performing energy analysis through the BIM and Building Energy Modeling (BEM) optimization interoperability, allowing to support the zero-energy building during the early stage design.