BIM-Based Human Machine Interface (HMI) Framework for Energy Management

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors proposed a BIM-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) framework for intuitive space-based energy management. The BIM-based HMI supports building managers with a method of linking data between BIM and BEMS, which are heterogeneous systems, and provides space-based real-time energy monitoring. The topic of the manuscript is interesting but it needs a revision.

The original contributions need a better explanation. Introduction needs extension and the referece list needs extension.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

 

The authors proposed a BIM-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) framework for intuitive space-based energy management. The BIM-based HMI supports building managers with a method of linking data between BIM and BEMS, which are heterogeneous systems, and provides space-based real-time energy monitoring. The topic of the manuscript is interesting but it needs a revision.

 

Point 1: The original contributions need a better explanation. Introduction needs extension and the referece list needs extension.


 

Response 1: Thanks for the comment. The references and introduction were revised like below.

…

this study defines the requirements and utilization procedures necessary for linking energy Monitoring and Control (M&C) points with BIM. Through this concept definition process, a BIM-based HMI is defined for intuitive building energy management, and a BIM-based energy management method using the proposed authoring tool is described. The researchers plan to develop the proposed BIM-based HMI through case analysis, and to analyze the effect through a questionnaire for working-level workers.

…

There has been a study to improve the BMS-based project management method using BIM technology [22]. In this study, methods such as code integration and identification number generation were proposed for BIM and BMS connection. There is a case of implementing Virtual Facility Energy Assessment (VFEA) using BIM and GIS technology [23]. This study focuses the feasibility analysis, established the system framework of VFEA, and discussed the use case of CSU, Fresno campus for VFEA implementation. In order to save energy, there was a study that proposed an integrated design method at the level of the whole life cycle [24]. This focuses on developing a façade system that considers energy savings.

Through BIM-based energy performance simulation, a service-oriented platform development study was conducted [25]. this study focuses developing at integrating a Building Energy Performance Simulation (BEPS) service in a versatile service-oriented BIM platform using IFC. A facility management method linking facility management and real-time data in a 3D game environment was studied [26]. This study analyzed the performance according to mesh complexity when representing BIM objects related to facility management data using the Unity game engine.

There has been a review study on cognitive-based city management technology in the energy domain [27]. The review focuses on learning and cognitive solutions that improve energy sustainability through Semantic Web technologies. Situation-aware Building Information Models for Next Generation Building Management Systems was studied [28]. In this study, a conceptual framework for performing facility management according to the situation was proposed. A study was conducted to express data for facility management in a semantic model [29]. This study focuses on the data connection method of facility management between semantic model and BIM.

 

Sincerely

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper is very interesting and very technical.

The part regarding other studies should contain more details about their content. 

The results of the survey should be tested on reliability (for instance with Cronbach-Alpha)

At page 13, you mention table 5, which does not appear in the text. 

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

 

The paper is very interesting and very technical.

 

Point 1: The part regarding other studies should contain more details about their content.

 

Response 1: Thanks for the comment. I revised the contents as follows.

 

…

this study defines the requirements and utilization procedures necessary for linking energy Monitoring and Control (M&C) points with BIM. Through this concept definition process, a BIM-based HMI is defined for intuitive building energy management, and a BIM-based energy management method using the proposed authoring tool is described. The researchers plan to develop the proposed BIM-based HMI through case analysis, and to analyze the effect through a questionnaire for working-level workers.

…

There has been a study to improve the BMS-based project management method using BIM technology [22]. In this study, methods such as code integration and identification number generation were proposed for BIM and BMS connection. There is a case of implementing Virtual Facility Energy Assessment (VFEA) using BIM and GIS technology [23]. This study focuses the feasibility analysis, established the system framework of VFEA, and discussed the use case of CSU, Fresno campus for VFEA implementation. In order to save energy, there was a study that proposed an integrated design method at the level of the whole life cycle [24]. This focuses on developing a façade system that considers energy savings.

Through BIM-based energy performance simulation, a service-oriented platform development study was conducted [25]. this study focuses developing at integrating a Building Energy Performance Simulation (BEPS) service in a versatile service-oriented BIM platform using IFC. A facility management method linking facility management and real-time data in a 3D game environment was studied [26]. This study analyzed the performance according to mesh complexity when representing BIM objects related to facility management data using the Unity game engine.

There has been a review study on cognitive-based city management technology in the energy domain [27]. The review focuses on learning and cognitive solutions that improve energy sustainability through Semantic Web technologies. Situation-aware Building Information Models for Next Generation Building Management Systems was studied [28]. In this study, a conceptual framework for performing facility management according to the situation was proposed. A study was conducted to express data for facility management in a semantic model [29]. This study focuses on the data connection method of facility management between semantic model and BIM.

…

To analyze the results of literature research, the existing studies were classified into 5 groups centered on keywords. Classification keywords are data exchange, ICBM (IoT, Cloud, Big data and Mobile), CPS, case studies and simulation. Others were summarized as other studies. Table 1 shows the classification results.

Table 1. Classification of existing studies

Classification	References	Description
Data exchange	[1][22][28]	The studies in this category are concerned with data integration and interoperability between heterogeneous systems. The solutions for these studies use code classification, standard data model such as IFC, API (Application Program Interface) and BIM software add-in technology.
ICBM	[2][5][15][18][20][21][26][27][29]	The studies in this category apply the latest technologies to the field of energy management. They mainly use ICBM technology to explore effective energy management method or solution.
CPS	[3][7][8][9[12][14][16]	These studies propose and implement digital twin framework, concept for energy management. The studies in this category often describe techniques based on CPS.
Case studies	[4][11][17][23]	These studies are related to case studies and analysis related to energy management.
Simulation	[10][13][19][25]	The studies in this category focus on energy management and simulation for savings and usage prediction.
Others	[6][24]	Among the unclassified studies, studies on hardware technologies for energy saving are also included. These solutions are related to building walls, automation. They are not relevant to this study.

 

As a result of classification, it can be seen that many studies are of interest in the order of CPS, ICBM, and simulation. In particular, CPS is being discussed in terms of a specific solution development method due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence or ICBM technology.

This study is close to ICBM and CPS. However, there are differences in this study aims to improve energy management efficiency from BIM-based HMI framework which support effective energy data monitoring and defines related components.

 

 

Point 2: The results of the survey should be tested on reliability (for instance with Cronbach-Alpha)

 

Response 2: Cronbach-Alpha test was conducted as follows.

…

scalability (Q3-4, 3.9), and energy-saving help (Q3-7, 3.7) (average: 4.0). The Cronbach-Alpha value of the survey results was 0.85, indicating good consistency.

 

Point 3: At page 13, you mention table 5, which does not appear in the text.

 

Response 3: The sentence was revised as follows.

 

The interview results showed that the problems that were investigated as requirements when designing the BIM-based HMI framework (Figure 3) are being solved to some extent.

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Sincerely

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The paper is interesting but needs improvements:

• State of the Art must be inproved. It's only a list of previous works such as "a study on..." "another study on..." without any critics. State of the art is usefull if the authors not onlygive a list but also comment and explain why a process is good or not, what can be improved, etc.
• overview paragraph needs improvement. Also in this case there is a list of statements, it is necessary to explain bettr what is written.
• The part related to the case studies must be improved: also here, a list is not useful to understand the process and to help readers to reuse the methodology if interested.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 3 Comments

 

The paper is interesting but needs improvements:

 

Point 1: State of the Art must be inproved. It's only a list of previous works such as "a study on..." "another study on..." without any critics. State of the art is usefull if the authors not onlygive a list but also comment and explain why a process is good or not, what can be improved, etc.

 

Response 1: Thanks for the comment. Through previous research investigations, to gain insights, the previous studies were classified, then their characteristics were identified and trends were analysed. The related contents are described as follows.

…

To analyze the results of literature research, the existing studies were classified into 5 groups centered on keywords. Classification keywords are data exchange, ICBM (IoT, Cloud, Big data and Mobile), CPS, case studies and simulation. Others were summarized as other studies. Table 1 shows the classification results.

Table 1. Classification of existing studies

Classification	References	Description
Data exchange	[1][22][28]	The studies in this category are concerned with data integration and interoperability between heterogeneous systems. The solutions for these studies use code classification, standard data model such as IFC, API (Application Program Interface) and BIM software add-in technology.
ICBM	[2][5][15][18][20][21][26][27][29]	The studies in this category apply the latest technologies to the field of energy management. They mainly use ICBM technology to explore effective energy management method or solution.
CPS	[3][7][8][9[12][14][16]	These studies propose and implement digital twin framework, concept for energy management. The studies in this category often describe techniques based on CPS.
Case studies	[4][11][17][23]	These studies are related to case studies and analysis related to energy management.
Simulation	[10][13][19][25]	The studies in this category focus on energy management and simulation for savings and usage prediction.
Others	[6][24]	Among the unclassified studies, studies on hardware technologies for energy saving are also included. These solutions are related to building walls, automation. They are not relevant to this study.

 

As a result of classification, it can be seen that many studies are of interest in the order of CPS, ICBM, and simulation. In particular, CPS is being discussed in terms of a specific solution development method due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence or ICBM technology.

This study is close to ICBM and CPS. However, there are differences in this study aims to improve energy management efficiency from BIM-based HMI framework which support effective energy data monitoring and defines related components.

 

Point 2: overview paragraph needs improvement. Also in this case there is a list of statements, it is necessary to explain bettr what is written.

 

Response 2: The overview was revised as follows considering the comment.

 

BIM has a wealth of spatial and attribute information about buildings, whereas BEMS has the data needed for energy management.

…

However, BIM is not easy to handle. For example, in order to use the information required by BEMS, the relevant content must be defined in advance and this process may sometimes involve specialized programming. In the process, user requirements may be omitted or changed. Sometimes, the professional BEMS development process makes it difficult to predict which system users will use.

HMI is defined as the means of communication for human-machine interaction. It is widely used for equipment data monitoring. In particular, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is used as a core element of the system. HMI encapsulates technical complexity and focuses on how to interface between the user and the technology. This gives intuitiveness to system development and usage from the user view. This study intends to apply the HMI concept from the perspective of BIM-BEMS.

…

This study proposes a BIM-based HMI framework to support effective energy data monitoring. The framework includes BIM and BEMS data linkage and utilization methods. In addition, this study defines the requirements and utilization procedures necessary for linking energy Monitoring and Control (M&C) points with BIM. Through this concept definition process, a BIM-based HMI is defined for intuitive building energy management, and a BIM-based energy management method using the proposed authoring tool is described. The research plans to develop the proposed BIM-based HMI through case analysis, and to analyze the effect through a questionnaire for practitioners.

 

Point 3: The part related to the case studies must be improved: also here, a list is not useful to understand the process and to help readers to reuse the methodology if interested.

 

Response 3: Related content was added as follows.

 

To analyze the results of literature research, the existing studies were classified into 5 groups centered on keywords. Classification keywords are data exchange, ICBM (IoT, Cloud, Big data and Mobile), CPS, case studies and simulation. Others were summarized as other studies. Table 1 shows the classification results.

Table 1. Classification of existing studies

Classification	References	Description
Data exchange	[1][22][28]	The studies in this category are concerned with data integration and interoperability between heterogeneous systems. The solutions for these studies use code classification, standard data model such as IFC, API (Application Program Interface) and BIM software add-in technology.
ICBM	[2][5][15][18][20][21][26][27][29]	The studies in this category apply the latest technologies to the field of energy management. They mainly use ICBM technology to explore effective energy management method or solution.
CPS	[3][7][8][9[12][14][16]	These studies propose and implement digital twin framework, concept for energy management. The studies in this category often describe techniques based on CPS.
Case studies	[4][11][17][23]	These studies are related to case studies and analysis related to energy management.
Simulation	[10][13][19][25]	The studies in this category focus on energy management and simulation for savings and usage prediction.
Others	[6][24]	Among the unclassified studies, studies on hardware technologies for energy saving are also included. These solutions are related to building walls, automation. They are not relevant to this study.

 

As a result of classification, it can be seen that many studies are of interest in the order of CPS, ICBM, and simulation. In particular, CPS is being discussed in terms of a specific solution development method due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence or ICBM technology.

This study is close to ICBM and CPS. However, there are differences in this study aims to improve energy management efficiency from BIM-based HMI framework which support effective energy data monitoring and defines related components.

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Sincerely

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

In this paper, the authors proposed a BIM-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) framework for intuitive space-based energy management, in which a flexible data linkage is enabled between BIM and BEMS. An interesting case study is conducted, demonstrating the integration of BIM and external BEMS for better human-machine interaction. Overall, this is a significant topic and the authors tried to design a meaningful BIM-enabled HMI framework. But it is still suggested that some minor revision should be made to further improve the paper quality:

1. The authors developed a questionnaire for the interviewees. It is suggested that the design of the questionnaire and the information about the interviewees (age, expertise, etc.) need to be given in the manuscript. 
2. In terms of literature review, instead of listing all related works in parallel, it is suggested that the authors cluster these studies according to the standard or techniques adopted in different methodologies. 

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 4 Comments

 

In this paper, the authors proposed a BIM-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) framework for intuitive space-based energy management, in which a flexible data linkage is enabled between BIM and BEMS. An interesting case study is conducted, demonstrating the integration of BIM and external BEMS for better human-machine interaction. Overall, this is a significant topic and the authors tried to design a meaningful BIM-enabled HMI framework. But it is still suggested that some minor revision should be made to further improve the paper quality:

 

Point 1: The authors developed a questionnaire for the interviewees. It is suggested that the design of the questionnaire and the information about the interviewees (age, expertise, etc.) need to be given in the manuscript.

 

Response 1: Thanks for the comment. The information was added as follows.

 

There were 53 interviewees. The interviewees work experience fields were architecture and urban (88.7%) and facility (11.3%). The most experienced process fields were design (49.1%), construction (17.0%), construction management and supervision (13.2%) and planning (5.7%). BIM practical experience is less than 2 years (37.7%), 5-10 years (20.8%), 2-5 years (20.8%), 10-15 years (18.9%) and 15 years or more (1.9%). The interviewees know energy management and some have practical experience.

…

 

Point 2: In terms of literature review, instead of listing all related works in parallel, it is suggested that the authors cluster these studies according to the standard or techniques adopted in different methodologies.

 

Response 2: Related content was added as follows.

 

To analyze the results of literature research, the existing studies were classified into 5 groups centered on keywords. Classification keywords are data exchange, ICBM (IoT, Cloud, Big data and Mobile), CPS, case studies and simulation. Others were summarized as other studies. Table 1 shows the classification results.

Table 1. Classification of existing studies

Classification	References	Description
Data exchange	[1][22][28]	The studies in this category are concerned with data integration and interoperability between heterogeneous systems. The solutions for these studies use code classification, standard data model such as IFC, API (Application Program Interface) and BIM software add-in technology.
ICBM	[2][5][15][18][20][21][26][27][29]	The studies in this category apply the latest technologies to the field of energy management. They mainly use ICBM technology to explore effective energy management method or solution.
CPS	[3][7][8][9[12][14][16]	These studies propose and implement digital twin framework, concept for energy management. The studies in this category often describe techniques based on CPS.
Case studies	[4][11][17][23]	These studies are related to case studies and analysis related to energy management.
Simulation	[10][13][19][25]	The studies in this category focus on energy management and simulation for savings and usage prediction.
Others	[6][24]	Among the unclassified studies, studies on hardware technologies for energy saving are also included. These solutions are related to building walls, automation. They are not relevant to this study.

 

As a result of classification, it can be seen that many studies are of interest in the order of CPS, ICBM, and simulation. In particular, CPS is being discussed in terms of a specific solution development method due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence or ICBM technology.

This study is close to ICBM and CPS. However, there are differences in this study aims to improve energy management efficiency from BIM-based HMI framework which support effective energy data monitoring and defines related components.

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Sincerely

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Tha paper after the revision is fine, the authors have answered all the questions.