Towards an applicable DBL data model: proposing an integrated DBL model and evaluating its potential in building applications

A Digital Building LogBook provides a source for inputting, accessing, and visualizing all information associated with a building, which can be continuously monitored and updated over the building’s life cycle. It is also intended to serve as a flexible repository for Energy Performance Certificate data, enabling effective and efficient data storage. The lack of literature for defining its main functionalities and proposing main criteria based on them has resulted in the development of several Building LogBook models in various categories and elements. The main purpose of this research is to integrate the results of a semantic comparison of existing DBL and EPC models and propose a harmonized DBL model, which aligns all DBL and EPC data into a consistent and compatible framework. The integrated model provides decision-makers and planners with a comprehensive overview of available data, indicating which types of information already exist and clarifying which data can be derived from DBL and which from EPC. To explore how well the integrated model aligns with the main requirements of building functions, its potential was evaluated in the context of different building applications. The results revealed a low compatibility between the elements and the data required to build applications. This work takes a significant step forward in creating an applicable DBL model, which may help to collect the necessary data and curate it over the long term, potentially leading to reduced costs and a lower data carbon footprint.