Towards semantic interoperability for demand-side management: a review of BIM and BAS ontologies

Abstract: Integration between Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Building Automation Systems (BAS) can provide valuable, accurate and real-time data and control for context-aware Demand-Side Management (DSM). Despite recent efforts to enable smart, efficient and grid-interactive buildings leveraging BIM and BAS, their interoperability remains limited. According to the literature, ontology-driven architectures provide a promising direction for enabling seamless data exchange. This review qualitatively analyses eight BIM and BAS ontologies to determine their suitability for context-aware DSM. By mitigating interoperability issues within DSM mechanisms, the use of ontologies can promote energy flexibility, environmental comfort, operational efficiency and reduced energy costs.