The impact of digital technologies on energy-efficient buildings: BIM and AI-based study

The building and construction sector significantly contributes to global energy consumption and carbon emissions, necessitating the exploration of innovative solutions for sustainability. This study investigates the transformative impact of digital technologies, specifically Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), on the development of energy-efficient buildings. By conducting a comprehensive scientometric and systematic review of 559 publications from 2010 to 2023, the research identifies prevailing trends, significant advancements, and existing challenges in the field. The findings reveal that BIM and AI hold substantial potential for enhancing energy efficiency during the early design and construction stages, facilitating better decision-making, reducing errors, and optimizing resource use. The study also highlights 14 specific categories of significant barriers to widespread adoption. These categories include interoperability issues, knowledge gaps, process complexity, lack of standards, data unavailability, industry resistance, low client interest, high service costs, trust deficits, technical issues, inflated technology costs, workflow inefficiencies, design errors, and role ambiguities. Particularly, interoperability issues, data integration challenges, and high initial costs emerged as the most severe challenges, hindering the smooth implementation of these technologies. These challenges underscore the need for developing robust standards and fostering a culture of innovation within the industry. This paper synthesizes current research, offering valuable insights into the critical role of digital construction technologies in advancing sustainable building practices and outlining directions for future research to overcome existing limitations.