BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS


WHY DIGITAL SOLUTIONS ARE KEY TO DECARBONISATION


Exergio explains how retrofitting existing buildings with digital technology and AI-based analytics can reduce energy consumption and help buildings meet decarbonisation goals


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ccording to the new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development


(OECD), digital solutions like Energy Performance Monitoring, Building Information Modelling, and Integrated Data Platforms are crucial to achieve global decarbonisation goals. However, a global trend has emerged to prioritise


retrofitting existing buildings – a more efficient option than constructing new energy-efficient buildings. This is up from 39% in previous years. In fact experts from Exergio, a company specialising in AI-driven energy solutions for commercial real estate, state that adopting digital technologies with AI can save up to 30% of energy without the need for deep renovations. According to the latest OECD report, Global


Monitoring of Policies for Decarbonising Buildings, building owners can incorporate digital technologies into their systems, optimise energy use, and meet sustainability targets. There are three key digital technologies that can decarbonise buildings:


1. ENERGY PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND REPORTING SYSTEMS (EPMRS) Energy performance systems track and analyse how buildings consume energy in real-time. They show building owners’ existing inefficiencies and assist in optimising energy use. Traditional energy monitoring includes smart meters, data analytics, and comprehensive reporting programs. Donatas Karčiauskas, CEO of Exergio, has been


improving the approach by introducing AI-driven analytics into similar models. He said: “AI-based


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analytics is a more advanced way to monitor energy as it can identify inefficiencies more precisely and faster than traditional ones. With AI, we can detect issues like a malfunctioning sensor before it becomes noticeable, based on subtle changes in energy consumption patterns. AI not only analyses data but also predicts potential problems, and optimises energy use in real-time. This way we can save up to 30% of energy for our customers.”


“Energy performance systems track and analyse


how buildings consume energy in real-time”


2. BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING Another digital solution, BIM uses software that can re-create a 3D digital representation of a building’s physical and functional features. This offers a better way to design, plan and manage structures, allowing a ‘digital twin’ to be used for energy performance purposes. “Digital twins is something that all huge building


complexes are going to have alongside traditional monitoring. They help us track how a building uses energy in real-time, and then we can make precise adjustments to optimise performance. Using BIM, we can simulate different scenarios, a key method to foresee and overcome upcoming challenges,” explained Karčiauskas.


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Winter 2024


3. INTEGRATED DATA PLATFORMS (IDP) IDPs aggregate and harmonise data from various stages of building management to make sure that building managers can access all information on demand. Unlike BIM systems, IDPs operate through the cloud infrastructure and provide a unified view of energy consumption, project timelines, and other key data that users can access through web interfaces. “This technology is not yet widely used but is a part of the future of building management,” explained Karčiauskas. “Upon increasing data volumes and huge operational systems, there is a need for platforms that would integrate all of this information and systemise it for end-users. While working with our platform, we realised that the next step is to allow building managers to understand where the biggest issues currently are, or may emerge, soon. We can only achieve that by integrating the data from thousands of sensors and inputs, and we’re talking about a single building here.” One example happened in Poznan, Poland,


where it helped a complex of commercial buildings reduce energy consumption by 20% in just nine months, resulting in over €80,000 in savings. According to Karčiauskas, AI-powered solutions are crucial for these savings. By investing in these technologies now, governments, building owners and companies will be able to meet Net Zero targets by 2050.


Exergio https://exergio.com/


www.essmag.co.uk


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