Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BIMcert (BIMcert – 1. Construction skills, 2. Energy efficiency, 3. Regulating supply chains, 4. Tackling climate change)
Reporting period: 2019-01-01 to 2020-01-31
The BIMCERT consortium identified the implementation of an online model of integrated, appropriate certification and accreditation that standardises and combines qualifications and skills around BIM, associated technologies and Green construction (sustainable construction, energy savings and efficiency, renewables) as the method by which Europe’s construction skills shortage can be rapidly filled.
Objectives:
1. To improve the sustainability of the built environment by training its workforce in more efficient and greener ways of designing and constructing through the use of BIM processes, better materials, products, and energy sources.
2. To engage with the entire construction sector supply chain (design to O&M stages) via BIM to develop wider European links and to encourage a system of peer support across states of varying maturity with respect to delivery of more energy efficient new and renovated buildings, including through prefabrication & modular construction, and by raising awareness, both conceptual (benefits) and practical (tools), including to the end user.
3. To encourage greater workforce mobility, continuous upskilling and better employability for all levels of employee in the construction sector. To be achieved through development and sustainable provision of an efficient, standardised and itself sustainable blended training programme, based on international best practice, policies and mandates, and utilising real-world prototypes to achieve better employability for all levels of employees in the construction sector.
4. To create clear pathways of development for individuals and SMEs to upskill from any starting point of knowledge to any required level of individual or collaborative expertise in support of sustainable energy efficient construction
5. To develop a pan-European framework for recognition and accreditation of BIMcert’s “bite-sized” learning modules, which constitute what we call “micro-accreditation” of knowledge and which recognise and certify existing and new skills. Sets of these Micro accredited learning modules will combine to build towards fully standardised skills recognition linking within existing national and European initiatives and frameworks of accredited courses and awards
Objectives:
1. To improve the sustainability of the built environment by training its workforce in more efficient and greener ways of designing and constructing through the use of BIM processes, better materials, products, and energy sources.
2. To engage with the entire construction sector supply chain (design to O&M stages) via BIM to develop wider European links and to encourage a system of peer support across states of varying maturity with respect to delivery of more energy efficient new and renovated buildings, including through prefabrication & modular construction, and by raising awareness, both conceptual (benefits) and practical (tools), including to the end user.
3. To encourage greater workforce mobility, continuous upskilling and better employability for all levels of employee in the construction sector. To be achieved through development and sustainable provision of an efficient, standardised and itself sustainable blended training programme, based on international best practice, policies and mandates, and utilising real-world prototypes to achieve better employability for all levels of employees in the construction sector.
4. To create clear pathways of development for individuals and SMEs to upskill from any starting point of knowledge to any required level of individual or collaborative expertise in support of sustainable energy efficient construction
5. To develop a pan-European framework for recognition and accreditation of BIMcert’s “bite-sized” learning modules, which constitute what we call “micro-accreditation” of knowledge and which recognise and certify existing and new skills. Sets of these Micro accredited learning modules will combine to build towards fully standardised skills recognition linking within existing national and European initiatives and frameworks of accredited courses and awards
The partnership believes there are 2 Key Exploitable Results from the BIMcert project. These are:
1. The newly developed BIMcert Platform, and
2. The 32 new Curriculum Modules that have been developed.
BIMcert is pioneering the upskill of the construction sector with the digital skills for utilising BIM as the enabling tool to achieve improved energy performance, sustainable energy and nearly-zero energy buildings. The BIMcert platform is market-ready in its current state, and evidence of this is through the adoption of the platform by Belfast Met for delivery of BIM training courses to the construction sector, which is proving very successful with further plans to deliver additional courses.
In our Exploitation plan, we also set out the aspects of the platform that remain to be developed and improved, which would allow us to increase the revenue potential of the platform for each partner. In terms of being able to compete with other BIM platforms, we believe our Unique Selling Points will enable us to compete, given the bite-size learning modules and gamification features. Translation of the platform into additional languages would however enable us to compete with more platforms. Our partnership with other EU BIM projects through BIMalliance continues to go from strength to strength, with further funding applications in the pipeline to further develop BIMcert as an EU-wide BIM training platform. BIMcert has also been successful in its application for ‘Go to market Support’ through the EC’s Dissemination and Exploitation Booster Service.
BIMcert's Unique Selling Points:
(i) As proposed in the original bid, the main differentiating factor of the BIMcert platform is the gamification engine (XP, Levels, Badges, Stars, Leaderboard). The industry also sees the possibility of creating learning “games” within groups of people (for instance, within a company) as an interesting feature.
(ii) A bite-size learning BIM platform with micro modules for the construction industry, tailored for individual learning needs in terms of time, place, and pathway with an integral focus on energy efficiency and sustainability, which has been designed in direct response to industry needs and delivered through innovative ‘blended learning’ methods. The platform has a flexible structure of modules and training plans, which can be completed progressively -whilst leading the trainees to get wider certifications.
(iii) A suite of accredited modules
1. The newly developed BIMcert Platform, and
2. The 32 new Curriculum Modules that have been developed.
BIMcert is pioneering the upskill of the construction sector with the digital skills for utilising BIM as the enabling tool to achieve improved energy performance, sustainable energy and nearly-zero energy buildings. The BIMcert platform is market-ready in its current state, and evidence of this is through the adoption of the platform by Belfast Met for delivery of BIM training courses to the construction sector, which is proving very successful with further plans to deliver additional courses.
In our Exploitation plan, we also set out the aspects of the platform that remain to be developed and improved, which would allow us to increase the revenue potential of the platform for each partner. In terms of being able to compete with other BIM platforms, we believe our Unique Selling Points will enable us to compete, given the bite-size learning modules and gamification features. Translation of the platform into additional languages would however enable us to compete with more platforms. Our partnership with other EU BIM projects through BIMalliance continues to go from strength to strength, with further funding applications in the pipeline to further develop BIMcert as an EU-wide BIM training platform. BIMcert has also been successful in its application for ‘Go to market Support’ through the EC’s Dissemination and Exploitation Booster Service.
BIMcert's Unique Selling Points:
(i) As proposed in the original bid, the main differentiating factor of the BIMcert platform is the gamification engine (XP, Levels, Badges, Stars, Leaderboard). The industry also sees the possibility of creating learning “games” within groups of people (for instance, within a company) as an interesting feature.
(ii) A bite-size learning BIM platform with micro modules for the construction industry, tailored for individual learning needs in terms of time, place, and pathway with an integral focus on energy efficiency and sustainability, which has been designed in direct response to industry needs and delivered through innovative ‘blended learning’ methods. The platform has a flexible structure of modules and training plans, which can be completed progressively -whilst leading the trainees to get wider certifications.
(iii) A suite of accredited modules
BIMcert achieved two kinds of impacts:
1) Building capacities and skills of construction sector professionals of various profiles,
2) Inducing potential in construction sector professionals to achieve improved energy performance of builidngs, as well as to increase share of low carbon and renewable energy sources in energy supply of buildings, by implementing BIM tools in their workplaces.
1) Building capacities and skills
The project has achieved the following impact through communication, dissemination & training activities:
• Project Website page visits: 18,999
• Platform user visits: 39,576
• WP2 Industry Engagement Survey & Workshop: 619
• *WP6 Trials participation: 422
• Presentations to 82,362 attendees at International Conferences & Workshops
• Total registered users on BIMcert Platform: 390
• Registered users on website, for access to newsletters & training materials: 1,586
• 231,317 total impressions on Twitter
2) Energy savings and RES generation
2.1) Energy savings
As demonstrated in the case studies of sample projects, energy savings that can be achieved by application of BIM, when compared to traditional method, are equal to:
- 29 kWh/m2/year for a new project
- 33 kWh/m2/year for a renovated building.
2.2) RES generation:
33 kWh/m2 per year * 2100 m2 *2 projects* 310 participants *0,8*0,65* 0,15 =3,351 GWh/year
A reduction coefficient of 0,15 is applied, presuming that, unlikely the energy savings described in the sub-chapter, BIM skills might not be the only factor enabling the increased RES share expected from the construction/ renovation projects, i.e. some RES implementation could be made by traditional methods as well. The contribution of BIM skills is assessed to be 15%, mostly due to: 1) the simulation of the building optimal orientation in space, providing optimal use of solar energy for electricity and heat generation, and 2) faster and more accurate analysis of a large number of design alternatives, wherein a large number of factors influencing the building energy performance, including varying share of renewable energy supply, can be varied, analyzed and optimized.
Summary:
The capacity of all stakeholders included in the project activities, for implementation of digital skills for improvement of energy performance of buildings has been increased and will lead to improved energy performance when applied in their workplaces. The project has therefore achieved the following impacts in terms of increased share of clean and efficient energy in buildings:
• Primary energy savings triggered by the project within its duration: 32,498 GWh/ year
• Renewable energy production triggered by the project within its duration: 3,351 GWh/year
1) Building capacities and skills of construction sector professionals of various profiles,
2) Inducing potential in construction sector professionals to achieve improved energy performance of builidngs, as well as to increase share of low carbon and renewable energy sources in energy supply of buildings, by implementing BIM tools in their workplaces.
1) Building capacities and skills
The project has achieved the following impact through communication, dissemination & training activities:
• Project Website page visits: 18,999
• Platform user visits: 39,576
• WP2 Industry Engagement Survey & Workshop: 619
• *WP6 Trials participation: 422
• Presentations to 82,362 attendees at International Conferences & Workshops
• Total registered users on BIMcert Platform: 390
• Registered users on website, for access to newsletters & training materials: 1,586
• 231,317 total impressions on Twitter
2) Energy savings and RES generation
2.1) Energy savings
As demonstrated in the case studies of sample projects, energy savings that can be achieved by application of BIM, when compared to traditional method, are equal to:
- 29 kWh/m2/year for a new project
- 33 kWh/m2/year for a renovated building.
2.2) RES generation:
33 kWh/m2 per year * 2100 m2 *2 projects* 310 participants *0,8*0,65* 0,15 =3,351 GWh/year
A reduction coefficient of 0,15 is applied, presuming that, unlikely the energy savings described in the sub-chapter, BIM skills might not be the only factor enabling the increased RES share expected from the construction/ renovation projects, i.e. some RES implementation could be made by traditional methods as well. The contribution of BIM skills is assessed to be 15%, mostly due to: 1) the simulation of the building optimal orientation in space, providing optimal use of solar energy for electricity and heat generation, and 2) faster and more accurate analysis of a large number of design alternatives, wherein a large number of factors influencing the building energy performance, including varying share of renewable energy supply, can be varied, analyzed and optimized.
Summary:
The capacity of all stakeholders included in the project activities, for implementation of digital skills for improvement of energy performance of buildings has been increased and will lead to improved energy performance when applied in their workplaces. The project has therefore achieved the following impacts in terms of increased share of clean and efficient energy in buildings:
• Primary energy savings triggered by the project within its duration: 32,498 GWh/ year
• Renewable energy production triggered by the project within its duration: 3,351 GWh/year