Can Emerging Energy Efficient Technologies Curb Climate Change?

“The building sector is one of the largest contributors to climate change, accounting for over 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” stated Australian-based, CIM founder and chief executive officer, David Walsh. “With building analytics technology, this sector has the biggest opportunity to quickly and cost-effectively cut carbon emissions and play a critical role in curbing climate change. Australia can lead the world in showing how this can be done,” said Walsh.

Simple tips to improve commercial building energy efficiency include: measuring energy consumption, installing airtight insulation, ensuring proper ventilation systems, buying certified energy saving equipment, using LED lights, meeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, and calculating the return on your investment. In Canada, these retrofitting techniques could generate energy savings of 5 to 15 percent and pay for themselves in less than three years.  

Here in the states, residential and commercial buildings are a key driver of electricity demand. They use 74 percent of our nation's electricity and account for 39 percent of our total energy use and 35 percent of our carbon emissions.  The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Emerging Technologies (ET) Program will support research and development and energy-saving technologies to address environmental issues.  The DOE also released a Notice of Intent and Request for Information on how to make best use of $250 million to enable more heat pump manufacturing in America.  The number of energy-efficient projects for commercial buildings is expected to propel the growth of the intelligent building automation technologies market, according to The Business Research Company’s research report on the intelligent building automation technologies market.  Globally, it is expected to grow from $77.38 billion in 2021 to $84.58 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3 percent.

The private sector will also play a huge role in the implementation and innovation of energy efficient technologies.  "What we figured out is that most buildings (...) are running on control technology that really hasn't changed since the 60s or 70s," President of Runwise Lee Hoffman said.  "On a macro level, about 45 percent of carbon emissions in most major cities are coming from how buildings operate. So if you want to address climate, you literally have to start with buildings," he added.  The U.S.-based building technology firm, Runwise, recently raised $19 million in a funding round, and plans to tap into growing demand to make properties more environmentally friendly. 

A group of companies led by Airbnb, Redfin, Lyft, Duquesne Light Company, Mosaic, Arcadia, and Propel are partnering with Rewiring America to launch an education campaign for their customers and users on how to save money with heat pumps and other building electrification opportunities.

Regarding HVAC systems, CIM’s David Walsh said, “These use more than 60 percent of a building’s total energy consumption, and up to a third of that energy is often wasted due to malfunctions, performance degradation and improperly tuned controls. When you consider that virtually all large buildings have operational issues, these statistics are hard to ignore and something that technology and data can dramatically improve.” To reduce energy waste, Energy Efficient Technologies has gone beyond LED bulbs and smart meters.  The company has deployed a multi-patented nanotechnology called, CryoGenX4, that prevents refrigerant oil buildup inside HVAC/R systems.

What additional energy efficient technologies are reducing consumption and curbing climate change?