6D BIM: Master Sustainability & Energy Analysis

📋 Course Contents

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1 Module 1: Understanding 6D BIM

1.1 What is 6D BIM?

6D BIM adds sustainability and energy data to your BIM model. It enables analysis of a building's environmental impact, energy consumption, and lifecycle costs before construction begins.

1.2 Why 6D BIM Matters

Buildings account for:

• 40% of global energy consumption
• 36% of CO₂ emissions
• 50% of raw material extraction

6D BIM helps design buildings that minimize these impacts from day one.

1.3 6D BIM Capabilities

Analysis Type	What It Measures	Unit
Energy Simulation	Heating, cooling, lighting load	kWh/m²/year
Daylighting	Natural light penetration	Lux, sDA
Carbon Footprint	Embodied + operational carbon	kgCO₂e/m²
Lifecycle Cost	Total cost over building life	$/m² over 30-60 years
Water Usage	Consumption and recycling	liters/day

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2 Module 2: Energy Analysis Basics

2.1 The Energy Analysis Workflow

2.2 Key Energy Metrics

Metric	Description	Target (Office)
EUI	Energy Use Intensity (kWh/m²/year)	< 100-150
Peak Load	Maximum HVAC demand (kW)	Minimize
SHGC	Solar Heat Gain Coefficient	0.25-0.40 (hot climate)
WWR	Window-to-Wall Ratio	30-40% optimal

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3 Module 3: Sustainability Certifications

3.1 Major Green Building Certifications

3.2 How 6D BIM Supports Certifications

LEED Credit	BIM Support	Tools
EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance	Energy modeling from BIM	Green Building Studio, IES VE
EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance	Parametric analysis	Sefaira, cove.tool
EQ Credit: Daylight	Daylighting simulation	Insight, Radiance
MR Credit: Building LCA	Material quantities for LCA	Tally, One Click LCA

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4 Module 4: Software & Tools

4.1 Software Comparison

Software	Company	Best For	BIM Integration
Green Building Studio	Autodesk	Quick cloud analysis	Revit native
Insight	Autodesk	Early-stage optimization	Revit native
IES VE	IES	Detailed simulation	gbXML import
DesignBuilder	DesignBuilder	EnergyPlus GUI	gbXML import
Sefaira	Trimble	Real-time feedback	Revit/SketchUp
cove.tool	cove.tool	Compliance checking	Revit/Rhino

4.2 Autodesk Insight Deep Dive

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5 Module 5: Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)

5.1 What is LCA?

Lifecycle Assessment evaluates environmental impacts across the entire building life:

• A1-A3: Product stage (material extraction, manufacturing)
• A4-A5: Construction (transport, installation)
• B1-B7: Use stage (energy, maintenance, replacements)
• C1-C4: End of life (demolition, disposal, recycling)
• D: Beyond building life (reuse potential)

5.2 LCA Tools with BIM

Tool	Features	BIM Integration
Tally	Revit plugin for embodied carbon	Native Revit
One Click LCA	Comprehensive LCA + EPD library	Revit, IFC, Excel
EC3	Carbon comparison database	Web-based

5.3 Carbon Reduction Strategies

• 🌿 Reduce structure: Optimize columns, beams, slabs
• 🌿 Low-carbon concrete: Fly ash, slag, recycled aggregates
• 🌿 Timber structure: CLT, glulam where possible
• 🌿 Local materials: Reduce transport emissions
• 🌿 Design for disassembly: Enable material reuse

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6 Module 6: Best Practices

6.1 Do's ✅

• ✅ Analyze early: Energy analysis at conceptual stage
• ✅ Set targets: Define EUI goals upfront
• ✅ Verify inputs: Check weather data, occupancy schedules
• ✅ Compare options: Run multiple design alternatives
• ✅ Document assumptions: Record all analysis parameters
• ✅ Coordinate with MEP: Share loads with engineers

6.2 Don'ts ❌

• ❌ Skip model prep: Poor geometry = poor results
• ❌ Use default materials: Always assign real properties
• ❌ Ignore orientation: Building rotation matters!
• ❌ Trust blindly: Validate with benchmarks

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🎯 Final Quiz

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