ASHRAE Journal - August 2022 - 6

INDUSTRY NEWS
Digital Twin Helps
ASHRAE's Net Zero Energy
Headquarters Stay Efficient
BY KAITLYN BAICH, ASSISTANT EDITOR
ATLANTA-Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical devices
or structures. They're used by engineers, scientists,
IT staff and others to run simulations and detect and
prevent problems, predict performance and optimize
processes through real-time analytics. These twin replicas
of objects and systems are created virtually using
engineering software tools. And ASHRAE has created
a digital twin of its new net zero energy headquarters
building in Peachtree Corners, Ga.
Twins serve as platforms, integrating real-time data
from a built asset with its digital representation, and are
used to identify ideal operational workflows. These twin
simulations can draw on current data flows and swiftly
find clear options to help the system operators reach a
decision when problems arise-or before they do.
Digital twins are fed with all kinds of sensors and operating
data enabling rapid error analyses and " what-if "
scenarios. In other words, the plant manager receives
options allowing for adjustments to potential problems
before things get bad.
" Digital twin is an industry buzzword, and everyone
has their own definition, " said Naman Patwari, technical
lead at Pinnacle Infotech, which created the digital twin
of ASHRAE's headquarters.
Pinnacle Infotech's definition of digital twin offers a
deeper insight into what a digital twin is: a combination
of three different twins: a physical twin, a service twin,
and a data twin.
The physical twin refers to the building information
model (BIM) and asset registry created after data from
various stages of construction is studied.
The service twin comprises manufacturer recommended
standard operating procedures (SOP) for assets
that is created after the corresponding operations and
maintenance manuals are studied. These, in turn, help
the building operator keep critical assets functional.
6
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.o rg
A U G UST 2022
PHOTO 1 The digital twin model is embedded into the ASHRAE dashboard for
easy viewing.
Data twins consist of how the building management
system (BMS) is configured with the physical twin of the
facility. Data pipelines are built to aggregate and tag BMS
data and make it available to digital twin platforms.
" A digital twin platform combines all three twins and
adds features such as a fault engine to interpret data
from data twin and identify appropriate SOPs from the
service twin by correlating data from the physical twin, "
said Patwari.
The digital counterpart of the 67,000 ft2 (6225 m2)
ASHRAE headquarters continued to serve as a model in
helping with renovations that were occurring, said Michael
Vaughn, senior manager of research and technical
services at ASHRAE. " The design team had to be careful
not to undermine the structural integrity of the building
by cutting a lot of holes in the concrete structure, " said
Vaughn. " Having the digital twin for this renovation was
a very useful tool for the design team and will continue
to be a useful tool if we decide to make other changes to
the building in the future. "
The digital twin not only served as a building renovation
tool, but it will offer a series of benefits for other
future projects at ASHRAE. Patwari said a big challenge for
owners is to make their BMS, computerized maintenance
management systems (CMMS) and BIM model interoperable
to monitor, manage and fine-tune their assets.
http://ashrae.org
ASHRAE Journal - August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2022
