Building management systems are seen as a key piece to helping facilities reach net zero by helping to reduce energy use and cut emissions from their operations.
This has resulted in the development of new smart technology that can help monitor and control anything from energy intensive heating and cooling systems to a building’s overall lighting setup. Several new platforms have recently been made available to help manage those situations in buildings.
Schneider Electric is offering two platforms for building efficiencies, a management system that will integrate renewable energy sources and a data system that will help improve efficiency and help buildings achieve green certifications. A partnership between EnPowered and Ecopilot is resulting in an artificial intelligence platform for HVAC systems.
Emissions from buildings are estimated to produce 40% of the world’s carbon emissions, with 28% of that coming from operations, according to Architecture 2030. HVAC systems and lighting alone account for at least half of a building’s energy use, according to the Energy Information Administration.
These numbers are helping increase the building energy management market, which Research and Markets estimates could grow up to 41% a year through 2026 in the Americas. A recent report from Johnson Controls found that 62% of organizations surveyed expect to increase investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, or smart building technology this year.
Using artificial intelligence could also save up to $1.3 trillion in energy transitions over the next 30 years, according to a report from U+.
Schneider Electric says its platforms, with the new offerings being the EcoStruxure Building Operation 2022 and the SpaceLogic Insight-Sensor, will help with up to 40% energy savings in buildings. The company’s building operation platforms provide a single control center for integration of systems such as lighting and HVAC as well as data from microgrids, electric vehicle charging stations and renewable energy sources.
The EcoStruxure Building Operation especially produces a range of data, including managing security systems and connected room devices. SpaceLogic Insight-Sensor monitors a building’s use down to room level to help adjust ventilation and HVAC systems as well as providing data energy use such as lighting, sound and temperature so operations can up date to the most efficient energy uses, Schneider Electric says.
Ecopilot is offering its smart HVAC system in Ontario, Canada. The system uses the company’s artificial intelligence platform for autonomous HVAC efficiency and will be combined with EnPowered’s Price Signal API, allowing users to accurately track and predict times of peak demand energy use. The companies say the platform can help many buildings in the area transition to clean energy and reduce emissions.
