An Asset Administration Shell Based Approach for Dynamic Data Integration in Building Automation

Abstract

The building sector is becoming smarter by the integration of Building Automation (BA) technologies with Building Automation Systems (BAS), enhanced by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Twin (DT). However, vendor lock-in, a lack of communication interoperability among different protocols, and a lack of standardization, affect the interconnection between these technologies. Despite many available solutions, existing dynamic data integration approaches are mostly vendor-specific or application-specific. Moreover, building modelling standards such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) store important information about building objects throughout the building lifecycle, along with 3D models. While these standards hold the information, they lack utilization in operational phase of the building due to their static nature. These limitations not only affect the overall cost of facilities but also create data islands with minimal interaction. Ultimately, these factors affect the overall interoperability and efficiency in building domain, despite strict EU energy regulations and zero-emission building targets. This study identifies key challenges in the building domain, specifically in integrating BIM and BAS data. It proposes an Asset Administration Shell (AAS)-based approach for the integration, which brings the interoperability, vendor-neutrality, and standardization. Leveraging these advantages, a demonstrator links dynamic BAS and static BIM data. Finally, the proposed approach is evaluated using an analytical framework composed of predefined criteria.