
The 2015 Paris Climate Accords aim to reduce global warming and boost resilience to climate change. Investors, employers, and employees are increasingly adopting environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives as critical evaluation criteria. According to IEA reports, buildings account for approximately 55% of global electricity demand and contribute up to one-third of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But looking on the brighter side, the Building Sector also has the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to other major carbon-emitting sectors. The Copenhagen international agreement gives decision-makers the opportunity to incorporate direct and indirect emissions from buildings into a global climate change strategy.
Organizations should start thinking about smart building technology today in order to deliver on the climate commitments, as well as to address other social and economic issues including evolving working practices and the continual demand for cost reduction. Smart building technology enables more efficient use of resources such as electricity, water, gas, and so on, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future.
A greenfield building has every opportunity to be a green one since it’s being created from the ground up. But when it comes to brownfield buildings, is retrofitting them into smart & green buildings with modern technologies worth it? Let’s explore.
What is retrofitting with respect to building infrastructure?
Why retrofit existing buildings?
Majority of GHG emissions caused by buildings are due to their various energy needs such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), water heating, lighting, etc. Hence, it’s critical to retrofit existing commercial buildings with smart controls to combat energy inefficiency. Governments and research organizations have identified retrofitting existing buildings as an important step to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate global warming. Therefore, retrofitting existing infrastructure with smart IoT technologies appears to be the obvious choice given its modularity, scalability, and short payback period. It’s easy, inexpensive, and does not necessitate significant changes to existing legacy equipment.
How IoT can help in retrofitting existing buildings.
When it comes to making an old infrastructure smart, the main challenge is compatibility between existing legacy equipment and new technologies. But when it comes to IoT technology, every necessary piece of building equipment can be inter-connected irrespective of the equipment manufacturer and even their technological era. Smart IoT sensors, energy meters, actuators, etc. are retrofitted with existing equipment for data collection & controlling the equipment.
For instance, retrofitting an HVAC system with energy meters, IO cards, ambient environment sensors, etc. enables modulation of variable frequency drives (VFD) & chilled water valves, and scheduling & duty cycling of the AHUs on the low side. On the high side, it allows for chiller & secondary pump modulation based on leaving water temperature (LWT) and pressure sensors, respectively. Here, IoT enables smart monitoring along with automation of the HVAC system, eliminating unnecessary HVAC runtime to save energy while maintaining the optimum ambient environment for the occupants. Such HVAC control intervention results in up to 10% energy savings on annual electricity costs. Similarly, IoT technology can also be integrated with other building assets and equipment such as lighting, refrigeration, grid, UPS, and so on.
These integrations, when bundled together, form an IoT powered energy & asset management solution. Such a solution truly makes a building smart by remotely monitoring and controlling entire building systems via sensors, actuators, advanced communication protocols, AI/ML-based cloud computing, Web dashboards, and other IoT technologies. These smart building solutions can help in improving building’s asset performance while lowering operating costs and overall environmental impact.
Advantages of retrofitting via IoT: Turning buildings into green ones
1. Energy Efficiency
2. Indirect Carbon Emission Reduction
3. Remote Asset Management & Centralized Visibility
4. Occupant Comfort & Well Being
5. Enhanced Property & Asset ROI
According to the World Green Building Trends, Smart Market Reports, green buildings are 14% less costly to operate than traditional buildings and increase the asset value of buildings by more than 9%. And IoT plays a significant role in turning a building into a smart & green one. Let us help you in meeting your sustainability goals by retrofitting your building via IoT powered energy & asset management solution. Talk to our experts.
