Combining LiDAR with Cellular Automata Modeling for Thermal Analysis of Building Envelope

Traditional methods for modeling heat transfer in the building envelope often struggle to capture complex geometries and include material heterogeneity. In this work, we introduce a novel approach combining mathematical modeling through cellular automata (CA) with geometrical capturing through light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to analyse the thermal performance of building facades. Physical data for the model are collected using LiDAR scanning, which provides precise digital representations of facade geometry and captures structural complexity, and CA modeling is used to simulate heat transfer, accounting for variations in material properties and detailed geometric features. We applied the model to a real building in Northern Morocco, the results showed the effecet of shading on reducing energy loads of the building. The model was evaluated using infrared thermal imaging. By integrating LiDAR as a data acquisition tool with mathematical and computational methods, this approach offers a robust framework for evaluating the thermal performance of building facades.