Artificial intelligence can help improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions

Solutions that incorporate the Internet of Things (IoT), along with artificial intelligence, are key to improving the performance of building owners and managers. Additionally, energy use, costs and carbon emissions can be reduced.

Smart buildings, defined as buildings that employ connected digital and automated technologies to optimize performance, are rapidly being recognized as key to decarbonizing the built environment and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C this century.

According to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Global Status Report 2020, building construction and operations account for 38% of total global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. 76% of global greenhouse gases are produced by energy production. In addition, the operation of individual buildings resulted in energy-related CO2 emissions accounting for 28% of total emissions, a record high.

The growing importance of decarbonizing buildings and the role of innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions were recognized at the 27th United Nations Climate Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. , with more than 140 events focused on the real estate and construction sectors.

Smart, adaptable building solutions based on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things play an important role in ensuring the long-term viability of the world’s building stock, as noted in the Global State of Building and Construction Industry Report 2021 That way, the world's building stock needs to reach net-zero emissions by 20504.

Smart technology can be used to monitor and leverage every aspect of building and facilities management, from heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) to energy usage and distribution. Artificial intelligence has the ability to take things a step further, upgrading building systems so that they can learn, reason and even solve problems, enabling greater optimization and decarbonization of infrastructure.

How does artificial intelligence make smart building systems possible?

There is no doubt that we have all encountered artificial intelligence, which has become embedded in many aspects of our daily lives, whether it is in social media on, or on entertainment streaming services. In industrial settings, AI can fast-track society toward carbon neutrality.

According to the Capgemini Institute, artificial intelligence could reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 16% by 2030. It is estimated that AI has helped organizations achieve 45% of the Paris Agreement goals.

Take the HVAC system as an example to illustrate its working principle. In an average commercial building, HVAC and lighting alone account for around 50% of energy consumption, so implementing central and automated controls has a significant impact when it comes to saving energy and reducing waste.

Set the desired temperature using a basic non-programmable thermostat without artificial intelligence, and when the temperature deviates from this setting, the system automatically triggers heating or air conditioning through an electrical connection. This feature is common even for HVAC systems in large buildings.

Using existing artificial intelligence technology, HVAC equipment can be upgraded with learning, reasoning and problem-solving capabilities. Taking the office lobby as an example, revolving doors are installed to allow outside air to enter. Standard HVAC systems waste energy regulating fluctuating temperatures, but with artificial intelligence installed, upgraded systems can quickly learn, adapt, and react to changing circumstances to provide efficient, cost-effective heating and cooling. .

Through machine learning, the AI ​​can not only infer that lunchtime will get warmer as more employees gather in common areas of the office, but it can also proactively adjust the air conditioning before lunchtime, thereby Keep the area comfortable for the occupants.

This fast, accurate automatic adjustment not only saves energy, but also takes the burden off those responsible for managing the comfort of office workers, freeing up time to spend elsewhere.

Collaboration is the key to energy-efficient AI

Climate change is everyone’s issue, and in addition to smart technology systems, collaboration and knowledge sharing among all industry stakeholders is equally important.

As a developer of digital, automation and electrification solutions, delve into where companies can deploy AI and IoT in infrastructure around the world, and where it can have the greatest impact.

In an initiative, a predictive, adaptive and scalable cloud-based AI solution has been developed to help reduce energy use, through a partnership with Montreal-based AI pioneer BrainBox AI. , costs and carbon emissions from all areas of a commercial building’s HVAC system.

The platform is designed to provide owners of smart buildings with a simple way to optimize energy consumption. Once installed, it learns the patterns of a building's HVAC system by observing key data points, builds an actionable map of HVAC system operating patterns, and then gathers ideas for improving efficiency.

After preliminary analysis, the solution will consider the impact of other external factors on the internal environment, such as weather, occupancy trends, local electricity prices, and outdoor pollution.

The solution is currently used in approximately 100 million square feet of commercial real estate globally and has the potential to reduce carbon footprints by up to 40%7 and energy costs by up to 25%.

Leading position in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom

Taking the retail environment as an example, a 275,000-square-foot shopping mall in Australia has an annual HVAC energy saving of 36% and an annual reduction of 388 metric tons. of carbon emissions. Hot on the heels of this, another Australian shopping center is now leveraging the predictive and adaptive capabilities of this AI technology, leveraging AI, cloud computing and custom algorithms to fully automate its HVAC system, just five months later This saves 43.73 kWh of electricity, or 16%.

Meanwhile, in Ontario, Canada, the owner of a 300,000-square-foot office building reduced annual energy consumption for HVAC by 29% and reduced annualized carbon emissions through artificial intelligence integration. 218 metric tons. At an 82,500-square-foot medical center in Garden City, New York, the solution controlled fresh air handling units and downstream variable air volumes, significantly reducing asset and equipment runtime and HVAC energy consumption by the equivalent of Saved 39% of HVAC equipment electricity in just six months(*9).

We are seeing similar innovation across Europe, including the UK. Manchester Metropolitan University, ranked first in the People and Planet Alliance among UK universities, has installed a web-based Building Management System (BMS) that provides real-time data access to support energy efficiency while minimizing operations and maintenance cost.

BMS provides automated controls and 24/7 web browser access to alerts, trends and plans for temperature, lighting and air quality, and helped the university's new Grosvenor East building undergo an environmental assessment for the UK Building Research Agency Obtained excellent certification under BREEAM method.

Smart solutions to combat climate change

In summary, it can be seen that building facility systems such as HVAC are introduced into intelligent, autonomous, AI-enabled digital platforms and seamlessly Integrated together, they can provide enterprises with a single, holistic view into how efficiently and effectively their infrastructure is operating.

Managers can use this data to take steps to optimize energy use, reduce emissions and costs, and reduce carbon emissions. As more and more AI solutions for smart buildings become available, these decisions are increasingly being taken out of the hands of employees, thereby reducing significant labor and costs.

In other words, high-yield AI is smart enough to leverage machine and deep learning to continue to deliver environmental and economic benefits 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By facilitating intelligent management of our living and working spaces, reducing energy consumption and emissions, AI has the power to ensure a safer and more sustainable future for us all.

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