MEP Engineering Provides Immediate and Long Term Benefits
Through the use of BIM technology, MEP Engineers can collaborate with building owners and designers to develop working visualizations of a building’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. This opens the door to system awareness and system improvements that can have both immediate and long term benefits.
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Energy Analysis and Savings
Revit software allows MEP engineers to create detailed 3D models of individual rooms and systems within a BIM to ensure that all systems are buildable as designed and will work seamlessly together. Due to Revit’s advanced technological abilities, MEP Engineers can perform energy analysis throughout each design phase of a BIM in order to evaluate the amount of energy that the MEP systems will consume [1].
Two common MEP systems that consume significant amounts of energy are HVAC systems and lighting. In commercial buildings in the United States, HVAC systems alone are the largest source of energy demand, accounting for 40% of the overall energy consumption [2]. Through energy analysis, however, MEP Engineers can make informed decisions to reconfigure a system’s settings or recommend updates to improve the system’s efficiency and energy demand.
Similarly, indoor lighting systems have been measured to account for roughly 17% of energy consumption in commercial buildings in the United States [3]. With the help of MEP engineering, this amount can also be dramatically reduced through skillful use of natural light, automation, and timing systems.
Re-Commissioning
MEP engineering can save on long term costs and headaches as well. If BIM is used to model a building during its initial conception, then those models will be extremely useful during the re-commissioning and lifespan of the structure. Re-commissioning takes places when a building has been in use for a certain number of years, at which point, the building owner will want to ensure that all systems such as HVAC and lighting are functioning at maximum efficiency.
Having access to BIM and Revit software allows MEP engineers to analyze the current operational states of MEP systems, including viewing difficult-to-access areas, and allowing the engineers to prescribe settings adjustments and/or updates to system technology. This type of analysis can lead to immediate benefits like less waste, less maintenance, and reduced energy consumption, yet it can also improve the lifespan and function of MEP systems over the long haul.
Conclusion
Reducing company costs is smart business. Proper use of MEP engineering, with the assistance of Revit software, can dramatically improve the efficiency and performance of systems that we often take for granted. Through Revit software, new buildings can be built (or existing buildings re-commissioned) to be not only less expensive, but easier and more comfortable to occupy; a win-win for any building or facility owner.
Sources:
1. https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/Revit-Analyze/files/GUID-A4C490A7-A86C-4027-B829-A77AB3211B60-htm.html
2. https://blog.aee.net/advanced-energy-technology-of-the-week-efficient-heating-ventilation-and-air-conditioning-hvac
3. https://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/reports/2012/lighting/