INDUSTRY NEWS
AI-ENABLED BUILDINGS CAN CUT ENERGY USE BY 22%, SAYS NEW REPORT
According to new research from Schneider Electric, AI-enabled buildings can cut whole-building energy use by up to 22% against traditional controls. As concerns grow over AI’s environmental
impact, buildings remain one of the world’s largest sources of emissions, accounting for approximately 37% of global energy-related carbon emissions. Schneider Electric’s new research, AI for Climate: Quantifying the Energy and Carbon Impact of Building Optimisation, found that AI-driven HVAC optimisation deployed through a smart building management system can contribute 7.2-12.7% of additional
building energy savings. This shows how AI manages energy more intelligently, easing pressure on building systems and the wider electric grid, the company explains. Other key findings include:
• Up to 60 metric tons of carbon emissions
avoided annually per building (59,869kg CO2e), comparable to the environmental benefit of planting 2,700 mature trees
• More than 200 MWh of annual energy savings in some building scenarios, enough electricity to power dozens of average homes for a year
• AI can more than double the energy savings achieved by smart building controls alone
MODUMAX BOILERS MEET UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD REQUIREMENTS
Hamworthy Heating has supplied its Modumax mk4 floor standing boilers to the University of Huddersfield. The chosen system includes a two stack configuration with a total output of 294 kW for the Queen Street plantroom, together with a three stack of 762 kW serving the Laura Annie Willson building. The modular design of the mk4 boilers was
useful in this application as access to both plant rooms was restricted. Each unit was
dismantled into individual sections before being reassembled in position. The modules were then vertically stacked. Luke Brearcliffe, project manager, Gasmech Services, said: “We’ve worked with
the Hamworthy team for many years so, when it came to replacing our existing boilers, we were confident they would recommend the right solution for our site. The new boilers have performed really well since installation, particularly over the winter when they handled very cold conditions without any issues.” Available in five models with outputs from 97 to 254kW (50/30˚C), mk4
boilers provide a 5:1 turndown ratio per module, low Class 6 NOx emissions and up to 95% gross seasonal efficiency. To assist facilities teams, mk4
boilers also feature a user-friendly full-colour touchscreen interface to simplify day-to-day operation and maintenance.
www.hamworthy-heating.com COMMENT
motorway service stations. It turns out that under French renewable-energy
D
law, outdoor car parks over a certain size are required to provide renewable-energy producing shade over at least half their area. As can be seen by the JA Solar story above right, a hotel & conference centre in Sicily has also adopted a solar carport, and it’s
a trend that’s continuing to grow across Europe. Built on land that is already developed, solar carports make use of otherwise unproductive surfaces and are a great way to produce renewable energy. Meanwhile, in our renewable energy section in this issue, we also consider
whether geothermal is the key to building greater energy efficiency, look at the benefits of solar Power Purchase Agreements, and learn about wind tubines that are capable of working at ground level!
Rachael Morling - Editor
https://www.baxi.co.uk/ 4 ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Autumn 2026
www.essmag.co.uk
riving through France this summer I noticed the growing popularity of solar carports, especially over lorry parking spaces at
• Both cloud and edge AI deployments can deliver significant energy and carbon benefits. “The future of building management will
be defined by how effectively organisations connect and contextualise data that was previously trapped in silos. An AI layer on top of existing business systems can turn complexity into intelligence and intelligence into action, reducing emissions, lowering costs and improving performance simultaneously,” commented Pankaj Sharma, EVP, Software & Services at Schneider Electric.
www.se.com
SOLAR CARPORT AND BESS CUT ENERGY COSTS FOR RESORT IN SICILY BY €500,000
Saracen Sands Hotel & Conference Centre in Sicily is on track to cut its annual energy bill by €500,000 following the installation of a large-scale solar carport and battery energy storage system. The integrated system is forecast to generate 1.5 GWh of electricity annually, meeting up to 90% of the hotel’s electricity needs while
reducing annual CO2 emissions by approximately 320 tonnes. With rooftop space at a premium, Noon designed an 850 kW solar carport
solution comprising 2,500 JA bifacial double-glass modules. Combined with an existing rooftop installation, the project delivers a total renewable energy capacity of 1 MW, while the carport transforms the hotel’s parking area into a dual-purpose asset, generating clean electricity while providing an additional amenity for guests and protecting from hail and the elements. To maximise the use of electricity generated on-site, Noon installed eight JAPlanet 261 kWh batteries, providing more than 2 MWh of total storage capacity. The batteries are used to store surplus solar energy generated during the day, enabling the hotel to operate for up to five hours during the evening without drawing electricity from the grid.
www.jasolar.com/html/en/ HOUSING DEVELOPER SELECTS BAXI HEAT PUMPS
Baxi air source heat pump (ASHP) systems have been selected to supply efficient low-carbon heating and hot water at Hedsor Billinghurst, a new-build housing development in Taplow, Buckinghamshire. Copas Brothers Construction, part of the progressive, family-run rural
estate Copas Farms, now specifies heat pumps for all its new-build development homes, future-proofing the properties ahead of incoming low-carbon regulations under the Future Homes Standard. The completed scheme consists of:
• Two Baxi HP50 7kW ASHPs paired with two Baxi ASHP 250L cylinders • Two Baxi HP50 11kW ASHPs paired with two Baxi ASHP 300L cylinders. Ian Mason, project manager at Copas, said: “This was our first project
with Baxi, and from system sizing to technical support, we always knew there was someone we could pick up the phone to for advice. Heat pumps are more complex than gas boilers and, like many developers, they are still comparatively new territory to us. This is why having a direct route to the manufacturer, alongside expert training, is incredibly valuable.”
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