Buildings 2013, 3, 380-398; doi:10.3390/buildings3020380 OPEN ACCESS buildings ISSN 2075-5309 www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings/ Article A Thermal Simulation Tool for Building and Its Interoperability through the Building Information Modeling (BIM) Platform Yudi Nugraha Bahar 1,*, Christian Pere 2, Jérémie Landrieu 2 and Christophe Nicolle 3 1 University of Bourgogne-France, Arts et Metiers ParisTech, LE2I, UMR CNRS 6306, Institut Image, Chalon-sur-Saône, France 2 Arts et Metiers ParisTech, CNRS, LE2I, Institut Image, 2 Rue T. Dumorey 71100 Chalon-sur-Saône, France; E-Mails:
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[email protected] (J.L.) 3 IUT Dijon-Auxerre, University of Bourgogne, Laboratoire LE2I, UMR CNRS 6306, France; E-Mail:
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[email protected]; Tel.: +33-602-309-823. Received: 1 March 2013; in revised form: 25 April 2013 / Accepted: 14 May 2013 / Published: 22 May 2013 Abstract: This paper describes potential challenges and opportunities for using thermal simulation tools to optimize building performance. After reviewing current trends in thermal simulation, it outlines major criteria for the evaluation of building thermal simulation tools based on specifications and capabilities in interoperability. Details are discussed including workflow of data exchange of multiple thermal analyses such as the BIM-based application. The present analysis focuses on selected thermal simulation tools that provide functionalities to exchange data with other tools in order to obtain a picture of its basic work principles and to identify selection criteria for generic thermal tools in BIM.