Artificial intelligence could help U.S. buildings to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, according to a paper by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
AI-driven energy use and carbon emission reductions could grow to 40% and 90% in 2050, respectively, compared with a business-as-usual scenario, the paper says. Absent energy efficiency improvements or policy support, building energy consumption would keep increasing. AI could be applied in four key categories: equipment, occupancy influence, control and operation, and design and construction.
The research focused on medium-sized office buildings in the U.S. It forecasts AI’s potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions through six scenarios. These include a setting that uses current building efficiency as a baseline, as well as two business-as-usual scenarios with and without AI, and three policy-driven scenarios.
In a separate study, the International WELL Building Institute examined AI’s potential impact on building energy consumption earlier this year. IWBI said that by implementing digital twins and AI, operators could use live data feeds to automatically open or close doors and windows, or increase or decrease the strength of fans throughout a building to achieve efficiency gains.
Related Stories
Contractors | Nov 14, 2022
U.S. construction firms lean on technology to manage growth and weather the pandemic
In 2021, Gilbane Building Company and Nextera Robotics partnered in a joint venture to develop an artificial intelligence platform utilizing a fleet of autonomous mobile robots. The platform, dubbed Didge, is designed to automate construction management, maximize reliability and safety, and minimize operational costs. This was just one of myriad examples over the past 18 months of contractor giants turning to construction technology (ConTech) to gather jobsite data, manage workers and equipment, and smooth the construction process.
University Buildings | Nov 13, 2022
University of Washington opens mass timber business school building
Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, the first mass timber building at Seattle campus of Univ. of Washington, was recently completed. The 84,800-sf building creates a new hub for community, entrepreneurship, and innovation, according the project’s design architect LMN Architects.
Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022
Top 50 Data Center Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
Holder, Turner, DPR, and HITT Contracting head the ranking of the nation's largest data center contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022
Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 60 Sports Facility Contractors and CM Firms for 2022
AECOM, Mortenson, Clark Group, and Turner Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Industry Research | Nov 8, 2022
U.S. metros take the lead in decarbonizing their built environments
A new JLL report evaluates the goals and actions of 18 cities.
Hotel Facilities | Nov 8, 2022
6 hotel design trends for 2022-2023
Personalization of the hotel guest experience shapes new construction and renovation, say architects and construction experts in this sector.
Green | Nov 8, 2022
USGBC and IWBI will develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) will expand their strategic partnership to develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Nov 8, 2022
Renovation work outpaces new construction for first time in two decades
Renovations of older buildings in U.S. cities recently hit a record high as reflected in architecture firm billings, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Sponsored | Steel Buildings | Nov 7, 2022
Steel structures offer faster path to climate benefits
Faster delivery of buildings isn’t always associated with sustainability benefits or long-term value, but things are changing. An instructive case is in the development of steel structures that not only allow speedier erection times, but also can reduce embodied carbon and create durable, highly resilient building approaches.
