ENERGY SAVING
Making every degree greener
As our cities expand and buildings become more complex, systems that support them must keep up. This includes air conditioning and heating units, which play a key role in regulating energy use and reducing carbon emissions while maintaining occupant comfort. Smart building management systems (SBMS) have become central to this, combining automation and IoT connectivity to deliver precise control of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) while extending system lifespans. Here, Carl Henriksen, CEO of managed IT specialist OryxAlign, explains how SBMS technology enhances HVAC performance and supports sustainable growth.
T Carl Henrikson
he UN forecasts that nearly 70 per cent of the global population will live in cities by 2050. Yet as urbanisation surges, the challenge is to grow sustainably, building
inclusive, safe and resilient spaces that embody the future of global living.
But as cities grow denser and demand for energy-intensive
infrastructure rises, the challenge of sustainable operation becomes sharper, especially within heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Heating systems are largely powered by non-renewable energy sources, fossil fuels alone accounted for 63 per cent of building heating energy in 2022, decreasing by only 4 per cent in the previous year. SBMS off ers a solution which could lift the sustainability pressures for HVACs, combining live analytics, the Internet of Things (IOT) and AI to manage a building’s core systems. Having moved on from its early days of lighting control, modern SBMS have the capacity to connect with wider city infrastructure and feature self-learning abilities. Current generations can learn occupancy patterns and automatically alter airfl ow and heat output based on external climate data, allowing for precise HVAC control. SBMS can also link with district energy networks and utility providers via an open application programming interface (API) to adjust heating and cooling loads to grid demand. These integrations prevent unnecessary energy use during peak times and extend operational lifespans of HVAC assets.
28 January 2026 •
www.acr-news.com Overcoming challenges
Even with these advancements, integration remains a technical challenge. Older air handling units are not well designed to cooperate with digital control networks, and many sites still operate siloed networks for functions like HVAC. Convergence away from these legacy systems is therefore both technically and culturally challenging.
'As urban growth continues, HVAC effi ciency stands out as an opportunity for sustainable building design.'
Combining systems into a unifi ed IP-based network
requires mechanical restructuring of IT systems that defi ne data transfer throughout the building. Hardware like cabling and software networks that support multiple devices must be aligned precisely to ensure that all HVAC systems communicate securely. Vendor collaboration is also vital here, allowing engineers and IT teams to coordinate project logistics and educate each party on convergence benefi ts. Cybersecurity should also be carefully considered when
integrating SBMS. As HVAC networks become more interlinked with areas like access control or CCTV, an entry point for
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