How artificial intelligence can make smart buildings greener and more sustainable

As CIOs and other executives look for ways to expand sustainability initiatives, there is a growing awareness that these initiatives cannot stop at the walls of the data center or office building wall. Today’s structures may contain hundreds of thousands of components that consume energy and increase an organization’s carbon footprint.

In fact, according to the World Resources Institute, buildings consume one-third of the world’s energy and produce one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Additionally, business and IT leaders often focus solely on improving data center sustainability and purchasing greener computing systems. However, they overlook key ways in which technology can reduce our carbon footprint.

“There is a growing awareness that buildings and workspaces are an important part of sustainability plans,” said Bryon Carlock, national real estate practice leader at consultancy PwC. “Understanding and managing energy use and embedded carbon in buildings plays an important role in limiting Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions.”

To be sure, the benefits of digital systems Major advancements — the Internet of Things (IoT), analytics software, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), 3D printing, and more — are making it possible to build and retrofit office buildings, data centers, factories, hotels, and other structures, to support maximum sustainability.

Carlock said: “Technology is now available to change the way we build and manage energy systems within buildings. We are able to leverage data and drive huge improvements in energy use and overall sustainability .”

IT’s role in green building maintenance

Thinking about the role of IT in driving sustainable development in buildings is clearly happening transformation. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives are partly responsible for this trend, but it’s also clear that “green” idealism is turning into a pragmatic reality. Concerns about climate change are growing and there is a growing awareness that smart buildings can provide significant cost savings. Fortunately, sensors and systems that were once difficult to install, manage, and use have become much simpler and more powerful.

“In the past, there wasn’t much support for and momentum around change, even though change was widely viewed as a good thing,” said Jennifer Layke, global energy director at the World Resources Institute. “Now Technology, economics and thinking are far more favorable. As a result, we are seeing an increased focus on constructing and retrofitting buildings to support sustainability efforts," she noted.

In fact, PwC found that 82% of senior executives see climate change and carbon reduction as a top issue in real estate development and purchases. While new low-carbon concretes and more sustainable building materials play a key role in progress, the biggest gains lie in the integration of technology with physical infrastructure and analytical systems that can spot patterns and identify paths for improvement, Carlock said.

“The convergence of digital technologies, including the Internet of Things, is a game changer,” said Gunnar Hubbard, head of sustainability and global practice leader at engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti. “Smart technologies are impacting how structures are built and how they are used.” CIOs, CTOs and others must also understand how to integrate alternative energy sources like wind and solar, he said, while employing software and systems to integrate disparate components, whether in data The center is still in a high-rise building.

Prefabricated and 3D printed systems can further reduce carbon footprints. Canadian company DIRTT, for example, develops pre-engineered, custom-made systems that require little to no on-site construction. The modular components—containing recycled materials and including motion sensors and other technology—simply roll into an office or manufacturing space and deploy. The company says its solution can reduce energy consumption by an average of 12% and reduce overall footprint by 25%.

However, by far the biggest gains are in the field of energy monitoring. As traditional HVAC systems gain digital and IoT capabilities, it becomes possible to gain insights into buildings and spaces and understand energy use in new ways, Carlock said. GE, Honeywell, Johnson Controls and others are rolling out systems that can digest large amounts of data and use machine learning to continuously adjust and adapt.

“We are seeing sensors embedded in floors, walls and ceilings. Machine vision, thermal sensors and other devices can determine the occupancy load of a floor or even part of a floor and adjust lighting, heating or cooling in real time ." When these systems are used with other smart technologies, such as electrochromic windows (often called smart glass that adapts to exterior and interior conditions), climate control can be further optimized.

How data analytics can help sustainable construction

Not surprisingly, analytics is the glue that holds everything together. Increasingly sophisticated controls and software can not only manage HVAC and other digital systems, but also provide insights into trends and feed the information into ESG software and data collection frameworks. For example, a building analytics platform from UK software company CIM links and synchronizes building intelligence systems, machine learning and other data points to view energy mix, measure actual performance against targets and understand operating cost (OPEX) reductions. Additionally, as the system learns patterns, it automatically adjusts the system to maximize comfort while minimizing carbon footprint.

Other analytics platforms, such as IBM’s Envizi, can track energy efficiency, including how renewable assets compare to traditional forms of energy, detailed HVAC performance and overall sustainability analysis. Many solutions include detailed dashboards and reports and connect to ESG and sustainability reporting systems. Some also offer advanced modeling, simulation, and even digital twins.

A United Nations report, The Global State of Buildings Report 2020, states that it is possible to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the construction industry using today’s technology. The report also states that innovation and improvements could lead to a 40% reduction in embodied carbon by 2030. However, faster and deeper adoption is needed. Better measurement systems, greater use of renewable energy, and greater use of analytics and machine learning are also needed to reduce energy demand and further optimize buildings.

PwC’s Carlock believes that achieving increasingly ambitious sustainable development goals will not be easy, but it is doable. CIOs, CTOs and others must play a central role in setting strategic direction, integrating systems and software and ensuring that data in all its forms contributes to ongoing sustainability gains, he said. “We are seeing more and more changes in smart buildings,” he concluded. “The way buildings are designed and how they perform is a key piece of the sustainability puzzle.”

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