More than 40 % of the energy consumption in Finland is consumed in buildings. Accordingly, buildings have an important role in tackling climate change. A common problem is that owners do not know the energy consumption of their buildings due to lack of data and analysis tools. Even if there are measurements, only 10 % of the gathered data is further used for making decisions. Analytics could substantially improve the productivity of, for example, a standard building automation system.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a way to benefit from the full potential of digital developments, including the internet of things (IoT), which is becoming more and more popular. Iot combined with AI can be used for monitoring and analysing massive amounts of data with minimal effort, and taking steps to save energy and money.

There are many examples of pioneering projects in this area. One example exploring AI's potential is Schneider Electric’s new 'Building Advisor'. It collects and analyses data starting even during the construction phase. This helps to detect hidden energy costs and informs decisions to improve the situation. Electricity savings can be up to 30 % without impacting on indoor comfort and conditions. The system also helps during the initiation phase when adjusting the HVAC processes to operate efficiently. It has open application programming interfaces which means other operators can use the data and develop new services.

Benefits

• AI can efficiently monitor and analyse the energy consumption and conditions of a building
• This identifies where improvements can be made for energy and costs savings
• AI solutions can also optimise the indoor comfort and conditions