How to use AI to enhance energy visibility in buildings

In the United States, about one-third of the energy used in buildings is wasted, causing losses of up to $150 billion each year. Today, more and more building facility managers are aware of this and want to identify every available asset to help control this cost. As we all know, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a powerful tool for industry leaders looking to improve energy efficiency. Coupled with zero building planning, advances in artificial intelligence set the stage for a transformative era in facilities management.

Data International energy occupation statistics show that the construction industry accounts for up to 30% of global energy consumption, and optimizing energy consumption can help reduce the impact on the environment. Artificial intelligence can help managers make better, more informed, and more predictive decisions that can facilitate a variety of goals in the built environment. Facility managers leveraging AI are seeing tangible benefits in energy savings, operational efficiencies and overall cost reductions.

A study by Global Energy Deployment found that artificial intelligence technology can save costs equivalent to more than 10% of annual on-site building energy costs. Another study of 624 school buildings in Stockholm, Sweden, found that implementing AI helped reduce heating energy by 4%, electricity consumption by 15%, CO2 emissions by 205 tons and complaints from residents by 23%.

Providing a path to greater efficiency and sustainability through edge automation and control gives building operators the key to managing energy waste while delivering services to residents.

In 2024, artificial intelligence will become a key tool to be trusted when talking about how to effectively use artificial intelligence to improve the energy efficiency of building strategies and solve the problem of lack of feasibility. Artificial intelligence is now working to streamline solutions to help optimize facility managers’ time and enhance their ability to solve problems as customers and trusted advisors.

The Digital Imperative

One of the major barriers to improving energy efficiency is not knowing where to start in developing the right roadmap for a net-zero emissions building strategy. The three steps of decarbonization – strategy development, digitalization and decarbonization – are important aspects of an organization’s overall energy efficiency and decarbonization plan. Digitalization itself is key to improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Without adequate digitization, the transformative benefits of advanced technologies may be missed.

Using technology to collect, analyze and present data, new insights can lead to more informed and optimized decisions. For example, in the Swedish study mentioned earlier, AI technology evaluated approximately one million data points per day to significantly increase heat and power. This use of data can make hidden or imperceptible aspects of a system or process visible.

Digitalization enables facility managers to ensure seamless integration of technology into digital systems for effective monitoring and control. Without digitization, three key steps toward decarbonization are made more difficult: developing a decarbonization roadmap, tracking embodied carbon, and measuring and monitoring energy and carbon.

In the initial stages of creating a decarbonization roadmap, identifying the tools and digital solutions needed for the building strategy can help establish a carbon emissions baseline, using technology to assess gaps that need to be strengthened between the baseline and organizational goals, and inform the roadmap.

Digitalization is the second step and can be integrated into the construction and operation phases of any facility. For any construction project, integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) into digital systems allows for meticulous tracking of embodied carbon, providing crucial insights into sustainable building practices. Facility managers can digitize and decarbonize with advanced technology solutions, such as 6D BIM platforms with embodied carbon capabilities. These tools calculate the cost and embodied carbon of building components, allowing for detailed analysis and reporting of a project’s total carbon emissions and the contribution of individual elements. By combining BIM with embodied carbon accounting, facility managers can actively participate in early design discussions, evaluate material choices, and assess long-term energy impacts to effectively support sustainable building practices.

Finally, in the third step, decarbonization typically oversees the execution of digital assets to improve energy efficiency and begins to enable the ability that facility managers now have to precisely monitor energy usage and carbon emissions. Centralizing energy supply and utility data, understanding primary energy usage, and implementing cloud-based analytics are key elements enabled by digitalization, enabling facility managers to make data-driven decisions that promote effective decarbonization.

For many modern facilities executives, the final stages of decarbonization will include the electrification of building assets to interact with a green grid, prosumer agreements with utility partners like Auto-Grid, and On-site renewable energy deployments, including microgrids, that provide both decarbonization and critical building resilience.

This three-step approach—strategize, digitize, decarbonize—is a proven strategy that can help facility managers translate the desire for net-zero carbon buildings into tangible steps toward achieving that goal action.

Deploying Insightful Sensors

A key barrier to improving energy efficiency is the lack of tools needed to make informed decisions and obtain cost-effective inputs. Leveraging AI requires deploying insightful sensors and monitoring systems. These advanced technologies provide real-time insights into the nuances of energy consumption, allowing facility managers to identify areas of inefficiency and develop targeted improvement strategies. By capturing data on lighting, HVAC systems, occupancy and other energy-related elements, AI-driven sensors enable facility managers to make informed decisions that go beyond traditional energy management practices.

Additionally, AI can streamline workflows and enhance problem-solving capabilities, greatly benefiting trusted advisors serving clients. Artificial intelligence algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data collected by powerful sensors deployed around a building’s perimeter, providing advisors with actionable insights that allow them to optimize their time and serve client needs more effectively.

Proactive energy optimization through predictive analytics

Artificial intelligence algorithms can predict future energy consumption trends by analyzing historical data and identifying patterns. This enables facility managers to take steps to proactively optimize usage. This predictive capability prevents energy waste and ensures that buildings are more likely to reach peak efficiency levels.

The importance of artificial intelligence in building management goes beyond energy savings; it also includes creating smart, responsive environments. Artificial intelligence algorithms can learn from occupant behavior, adjusting lighting, temperature and other environmental factors to match preferences and usage patterns. This not only improves occupant comfort but also saves more energy by avoiding unnecessary consumption during idle periods.

For example, products such as Insight Sensor can collect information on parameters such as temperature, humidity and sound levels, and can accurately determine occupancy and quickly adjust. With it, artificial intelligence predictive analytics algorithms connected to these sensors can now reset room temperatures to vacant occupancy levels within two minutes, rather than having to wait for motion detectors that could previously take up to 15 minutes.

As the construction industry is impacted by retirements and skilled worker shortages, predictive analytics can also improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, reinforcing the workforce’s critical role in facilities management. While AI is critical for decarbonization, it will also play a key role in solving the supply chain crisis for skilled workers, providing a unique solution to the facilities management skills gap.

For understaffed facility teams, a digital-first service approach can help, connecting remote and onsite technicians with digital tools and data to effectively resolve issues and meet service requirements. This approach boosts frontline confidence and ensures impactful results. For example, in 2023, we used EcoStruxure Building Advisor tasks to coordinate with our teams, which directly contributed to efficient building operations and reduced carbon emissions equivalent to taking approximately 2,200 cars off the road.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Facilities Management

Ultimately, the AI ​​revolution in construction provides a wealth of actionable information. The impending widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and analytics marks an important milestone in integrating artificial intelligence into the fabric of the built environment. Many are concerned about how quickly artificial intelligence is being adopted across industries, but for facility managers and their trusted advisors, it’s a critical, powerful set of tools that can help their buildings move into the next Sustainable development for one generation.

Artificial intelligence has huge potential for change. By deploying advanced sensors, employing predictive analytics, and building trusted partnerships, the commercial real estate industry can realize the full potential of artificial intelligence to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. As we move toward the full adoption of sustainable building practices, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence is a beacon guiding us toward a greener, more efficient future.

The above is the detailed content of How to use AI to enhance energy visibility in buildings. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!