BIM-Based Solar PV Modelling for Public Buildings – A New Zealand Case Study

National governments and private sectors worldwide are gearing up for transitioning to a carbon net zero world while addressing energy shortages. In particular, the building and construction industry accounts for over half of the global electricity consumption and energy related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Renewable energy sources such as Building Attached PV Photovoltaic (BAPV) systems play a crucial role in displacing GHG emissions from fossil fuel-based power generation. BAPV adoption thus is becoming one of the essential strategies for large buildings such as airports and hospitals to achieve Zero-Carbon buildings while meeting energy demand. Despite its huge social and economic benefits, BAPV is not yet widely adopted by public entities, particularly in the local government sector that owns and operates multiple public buildings and community facilities. The lack of building information and the manual nature of current analysis tools hinder the public asset owner’s capability for effective decision-making towards solar energy investment. Therefore, there is a pressing need for an automated modelling system to support BAPV business case and feasibility studies. This study proposes a conceptual analysis framework, namely SolarPVBIM, by integrating the standalone energy simulation software with Building Information Modelling (BIM). A solar energy project implemented for a public swimming pool building located in Hastings, New Zealand was selected as a case study to test and demonstrate the SolarPVBIM development and its applications. In light of the result of this study, it can be concluded that the BIM-enabled solar PV modelling and analysis method enhances the asset owner’s capability to make evidence-based decisions to meet their social and environmental responsibilities while achieving the organisation’s financial goals.