Digital Twin-Enabled Visualization of Carbon Emissions in Building Operation and Maintenance

Today, the growing concern over global warming highlights the urgent need for energy conservation and carbon emissions reduction. In 2020, the construction industry accounted for nearly half of global carbon emissions and energy consumption, necessitating prioritization of its energy-saving and emissions-reduction strategies. However, the intangible nature of carbon emissions has made it a significant challenge to implement such strategies effectively. Recently, the widespread use of digital twins presents unprecedented potential in reducing carbon emissions during Industry 4.0. This research therefore introduces and proposes a digital twin solution architecture that visualizes carbon emissions data in building operation and maintenance. By integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM), the IPCC methodology, and spatial interpolation, this system can reveal embodied carbon and operational carbon, especially the distribution of indoor CO2 levels, facilitating the management and development of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the construction industry.