Decarbonising Buildings - Smart Technology

According to a report from the European Commission, an estimated 75% of Europe's current building stock is considered energy inefficient. Governments around the world are setting ambitious targets to reduce the speed of climate change and ensure the average global temperature doesn't rise above 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial times. Buildings and their construction together account for 36% of global energy use and 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to the United Nations Environment Program.

In Europe, buildings consume more energy and emit more carbon dioxide than any other economic sector, and less than 1% of today's buildings are considered net-zero carbon, according to a WRI report on accelerating decarbonisation.

Therefore, it is clear that as an industry, we need to act now to decarbonise our existing buildings. 80% of buildings that will be in use in 2050 have already been built, so the potential within the retrofit process is huge. 

Implementing strategic use of existing space and infrastructure can lead to an 11% greenhouse gasses emission reduction by 2050 and a 10%-20% reduction in demand for new buildings (Smart Cities Dive).

The process for designing and constructing buildings needs to change; it is still very traditional and doesn't consider smart technology or technology integration until later in the process, which often hinders innovation and restricts opportunities for improved sustainability.

How can smart technology help to decarbonise our buildings and cities?

IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT), particularly sensors, have played a big role in contributing to reducing carbon in buildings. They help to reduce energy expenditure and measure consumption and waste, E.g. through a smart device like a TV powering down when it's not in use or smart lights automatically dimming down if there is sufficient natural light in a particular area.

According to Deloitte, "the IoT is already having a significant impact" on the commercial real estate (CRE) sector. "The way in which IoT generated information creates value represents a fundamental shift for CRE companies." IoT applications and data analytics create value in the sector by improving energy efficiency and opening new opportunities for differentiation and sustainability programmes.

Sensors

There are various use cases for sensors, including simple things like turning the lights off because it senses no one is present. Temperature monitoring sensors that automatically open windows instead of putting the air conditioning on, or sensors that feedback to a BMS, powering down the whole building after 7pm when no one is present, putting everything into power-save mode – the possibilities are endless.

BMS

Having a truly smart Building Management System (BMS) that unifies control of systems and devices within a building improves insight. Gathering data and visually reporting it is another important component of an energy-efficient building. Often a lack of insight hinders huge cost and energy savings; collecting masses of data is only useful if you have a smart system that can interpret it and automatically make changes, as well as flagging suggestions and improvements that can be made to the building or facility manager.

Optimise Performance 

Lighting, heating, ventilation in a commercial building account for 60-75% of its primary energy use (JLL). By adjusting settings according to the occupancy rate, energy savings can be made. An innovative, cutting edge BMS should also be able to ingest this information and automatically adjust the settings based on occupancy.

Preventative Maintenance 

Another really important benefit of sensors is preventative maintenance. Small sensors installed within components continuously track performance, alerting managers when there is an anomaly, something needs maintenance or is approaching the end of life. It ensures everything within the building runs at optimum efficiency and is repaired ahead of an issue occurring. It ensures full functionality is maintained but can also highlight opportunities to reduce waste and increase efficiency.

Circular economy strategies could eliminate the equivalent of 9.3 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2050 (JLL).

Conversations with thought-leaders

Dogu Taskiran, Stambol – Digital Twins 

We interviewed Dogu as part of our Smart Building Podcast series. We discussed the role of digital twins within smart buildings. A digital twin is a virtual digital equivalent to a physical product. Data collected by sensors help to evaluate energy efficiency and identify potential improvements in building performance.

Historical data collected from the digital twin allows anomalies to be highlighted. This, therefore, facilitates predictive maintenance, extending the life of assets, or improving operational efficiencies.

In addition, this can be done automatically; AI can make decisions. It can decide to turn the AC on in a certain area and the lights off in another.

For example, if a boiler in a shopping mall is going to break down in the next couple of weeks, the Facility Manager will know because of the sensor data being analysed by AI and machine learning. They will know who maintained it last, the warranty, maintenance records etc. It will act as a single source of truth—a common database for everything that happens within the lifecycle of the building. In addition, this can all be monitored remotely by the Facility Manager.

Rob Mitchell, SSE – Decarbonising Buildings 

Rob recently joined us on the podcast to discuss decarbonising buildings and his frustrations with the way we still design, specify, price and install technology in buildings. Smart Building Consultants and System Integrators aren't standard on every project, so how do we progress?

Find out Rob's thoughts on the matter in his podcast episode, which will be released soon. Subscribe or follow our podcast so you don't miss out. 

In conclusion, the construction and procurement process needs to be updated to meet current needs and support the joint aim to meet zero carbon building targets. There is a need for more skilled labour higher up in the construction process to identify opportunities for energy efficiency earlier and create more innovative, interoperable solutions. These people need knowledge of networking, systems integration, data management and data security to be able to effectively deliver solutions that decarbonise buildings.