Feature
Positive Energy: Why Smart Buildings Are The Key To Decarbonisation
Digital technologies are making buildings more secure, more
comfortable and more energy-efficient, while reducing CO2 emissions, as Oliver Iltisberger, division president, ABB Smart Buildings, explains.
Commercial buildings are on the frontline in the battle against climate change. Smart buildings and the facilities managers responsible for their operation therefore have a crucial role to play in global efforts to decarbonise the built environment in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
According to the UN Environment Programme, buildings consume around 40 percent of global energy and produce a third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions1
. National governments,
particularly those in Europe, are uniting to address the issue. As part of its strategy to become a carbon-neutral economy with net-zero emissions by 2050, the EU plans to reduce GHG emissions by 20 percent, increase renewable energy by the same amount, and ensure that all new builds are nearly zero- energy buildings (NZEBs).
The climate clock is ticking and the recent IPCC report2 makes
for grim reading. Given the enormity of the challenge posed by global warming and the carbon intensity of buildings today, we must focus our efforts on where we can make the biggest impact in the shortest time to support national policies and future-proof our commercial buildings.
What Is A Smart Building?
A smart building employs a range of interconnected technologies to optimise everything from water use, energy management, air conditioning, access, automation, lighting, remote monitoring and communication networks, while simultaneously creating a more amenable working environment. The concept of smart buildings is nothing new, of course. As you no doubt know, architects and developers have installed separate systems to control lighting, heating and ventilation for decades.
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