Although industrialized construction methods, such as modular and manufactured buildings, have evolved over decades, core techniques used in prefabrication plants vary only slightly from those used in traditional site-built construction. With the focus of energy efficiency in modular construction, this research presents the development of a simulation, measurement, and optimization system for determining energy consumption (EC) in the manufacturing process of modular construction. The system uses the principles of a loosely coupled system operation to identify the nonvalue-added tasks and possible causes of low energy efficiency. The system includes value stream mapping (VSM), discrete optimization, and system dynamics (SD) for the demonstration and calculation of EC in modular construction. The benefits of implementing this system include the quantity analysis of possible waste factors, reductions in the EC, decrease of energy cost, and increase of profit. In addition, the research reveals the relationships between relocatable workers, energy efficiency, and operation flexibility. This system should provide superior performance over existing operation evaluation systems, enabling decision-making based on reliable quantities and delivery of true EC models to facility construction practitioners.

Existing research mainly focuses on the external impact of incentive policies of industrialized/manufactured construction (IMC). However, it is still unclear how the transmission mechanism among cities and regions of IMC incentive policies works in the process of formulation. To fill the knowledge gap, this study establishes a relationship matrix to propose the transmission-weighted complex network (TWCN). Degree distribution and clustering coefficient are used to calculate the transmission path and the transmission intensity of TWCN. The validation is based on data collected from 415 policy documents (2010–2018) and 2923 items from 181 nodes of the TWCN for IMC policies. The findings show that transmission path of IMC incentive policies is from the eastern coast of China to the central, western and northern regions. Fiscal and taxation incentives have the greatest intensity of spatial agglomeration in the transmission process. The results of the TWCN are consistent and conform to the scientific and rational expectations of research. Overall, the research outcomes are applicable to studies on sustainability policies in different fields, including sustainable construction, renewable energy, etc. Policy makers can implement the TWCN to recognize the performance and functions of different incentives and propose effective strategies to achieve sustainability.