A Study on Challenges in Inter-Software Data Exchange for a Better Building Design

Buildings are considered to be responsible for approximately one-third of the total energy consumption. Most of this utilization is due to the applications of Heating ventilation and air conditioning systems. So, it is required to carefully design and systematically analyze these systems for their respective energy consumptions in order to construct sustainable buildings. There are a lot of building simulation packages available which can be used for designing sustainable building by decreasing the energy requirements and achieving comfortable dwelling conditions. However, each package has its capabilities. Also, it's impractical to say that a single platform can solve all the problems accurately, so, researchers generally focus on integrating the different packages in order to optimize the built environment. The integration of different packages requires the transfer of data from one package to another. However, the interoperability of data from one package to others has been found difficult. This communication is an attempt to study the various techniques being used by different researchers in order to exchange data between various packages. This has been studied with the focus on better building design for improving Indoor air quality and thermal comfort in buildings. It also intends to showcase the various complications faced by researchers in order to select an appropriate technique for handling data obtained from various packages.