The Drf Lunchtime Clinic is proud to welcome Prof Dimitiros Rovas, Professor of Building Simulation and Optimisation at the Bartlett School Env, Energy & Resources, University College London. Prof Rovas will be speaking on Building of the future: using digital building twins for data-smart operation.
We look forward to hearing about Prof Rovas' research in the areas of building physics, smart buildings, design and simulation of building energy management systems, building simulation, building information modelling, and development of middleware and data integration platforms for data access and analytical processing of sensor information.
Abstract
As climate change and the need for resilient operations continue to drive innovation, digitalisation in energy efficiency is becoming pivotal. This presentation will explore the concept of a digital twin in high-performance building operations, detailing its applications, variations, and how it supports sustainability goals. Attendees will gain insight into digital twins designed for advanced operational efficiency, including examples where agent-based operation can surpass traditional building management systems. We’ll also dive into the technologies, especially semantic web frameworks and integrated data platforms, that enable the scale-up and effective delivery of digital twins, offering valuable perspectives on their construction and deployment.
Bio
Dimitrios Rovas is Professor in Building Simulation and Optimisation at the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources at the University College London. Dimitrios received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and held academic posts at the Laboratory for Numerical Analysis of the University of Paris VI, France, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, and the Technical University of Crete, Greece. His research focuses on computational approaches for energy modeling, smart buildings, and the development of middleware for data integration and processing. Dimitrios has led over 20 research projects, often advancing data-driven platforms that optimize building systems through real-time analytics, and co-leads IEA Annex 81 on data-driven energy solutions.