Smart buildings, defined as those employing interconnected digital and automation technologies to optimize performance, are fast being recognized as critical to decarbonizing the built environment and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C this century.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2020 Global status report1, building construction and operations account for 38% of total energy-related CO2 emissions globally. Energy production is responsible for 76% of greenhouse gases (GHGs) worldwide2. Furthermore, the figures for building operations in isolation have increased to a record high of 28% of energy related CO2 emissions.
The increasing importance of building decarbonization, and the role of innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of things (IoT) solutions, were recognised at the COP27 climate conference3 in Sharm El Sheik in Egypt, where more than 140 of the events focused on real estate and construction.
