How a living twin is built
A digital twin here is not a pretty massing model. It is a weather-matched, utility-calibrated EnergyPlus model that keeps physical integrity and is ready for scenario testing.
Physics + Operations + weather.
Six stages
- 01
Geometry
Form into thermal zones, surfaces, and adjacencies.
- 02
Constructions
Wall, roof, floor, and glazing assemblies.
- 03
Internal loads
Occupants, lighting, small power, and schedules.
- 04
Mechanical systems
Actual plant topology and equipment performance.
- 05
Controls
Setpoints, deadbands, availability, and sequencing.
- 06
Annual simulation
A year of weather-matched operation, then QA.
How work starts
Remote start from a questionnaire, floor plans, and 12 months of utility data. No site visit required. The public input list stops there.
Calibration keeps the model honest
Close the gap between model and meter. Calibration uses 12 months of utility data. It tunes only defensible parameters and keeps the model's physical integrity. Example fit: CV(RMSE) 7% after 4 adjustments.
12 months of utility data
7% CV(RMSE) example fit
4 adjustments to reach it
Twins are continuously calibrated — a living model, not a report that is filed and forgotten. The contrast with a static audit is the point: the twin stays current for ongoing decisions instead of going stale as a snapshot.
Method, not certification
Named standards appear as the method under the model. They are not certifications or endorsements Orynia holds.
- EnergyPlus
- The physics-based engine that simulates the building.
- ASHRAE Guideline 14
- The measurement protocol used when judging how well the twin fits the meters.
- IPMVP Option D
- Calibrated simulation for savings that cannot be metered directly.
- CV(RMSE)
- Coefficient of variation of the root-mean-square error — the published goodness-of-fit figure above.
- TM59 / TM52
- Overheating and thermal comfort assessment (CIBSE).
- CRREM 1.5C
- Carbon-intensity budgets by asset class and geography.
- PROMETHEUS / UKCP18
- Future weather files drawn from UK climate projections.
Don't replace what you haven't optimised.
Write to Annie Marston at annie@orynia.io
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