
Building Automation
Buildings and Cities
Building automation systems serve as the 'brain' of large commercial buildings. Controlling temperature, lighting, and more, they can improve energy efficiency and occupants ' comfort.
Rank and results by 2050 #45
Building Automation
Reduced CO2: | 5 gigatons |
---|---|
Net cost (Billions US$): | $68.12 |
Net operational savings: | $880.55 billion |
TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)
Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)
NET COST (billions US $)
Net cost to implement
SAVINGS (billions US $)
Net savings by 2050
Impact:
BAS can result in up to 20 percent more efficient heating and cooling and 11.5 percent more efficient energy use for lighting, appliances, etc. Expanding these systems from 34 percent of commercial floor space in 2014 to 50 percent by mid-century — at an added cost of $68 billion—building owners could save $881 billion in operating costs. 4.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided.

Building Automation
Buildings and Cities
Building automation systems serve as the 'brain' of large commercial buildings. Controlling temperature, lighting, and more, they can improve energy efficiency and occupants ' comfort.
Energy courses through buildings—in heating and air-conditioning systems, electrical wiring, water heating, lighting, information and communications systems, security and access systems, fire alarms, elevators, appliances, and indirectly through plumbing. Most large commercial buildings have some form of centralized, computer-based building management, used to monitor, evaluate, and control those systems. Adopting automated rather than manual building management systems can reduce energy consumption by 10 to 20 percent.
A building automation system (BAS) is a building’s brain. Equipped with sensors, BAS buildings are constantly scanning and rebalancing for greatest efficiency and effectiveness. Lights switch off when no one’s around, for example, and windows vent to improve air quality and temperature. New buildings can be equipped with BAS from the start; older ones can be retrofitted to incorporate it and reap its benefits.
Beyond energy savings and reduced operations and maintenance costs, BAS benefits the well-being and productivity of people inside the building. Improved thermal and lighting comfort and indoor air quality directly impact occupant satisfaction. BAS is especially useful to ensure and maintain efficiency in green buildings, so that their ratings on paper match their actual performance.