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Love it or loathe it, Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is already playing a huge part in our lives and in our industry, but we still have a lot of work to do if we are to fully harness its potential for improving indoor environments.
AI is described as the process that allows a computer to act and respond “almost as if it was a human”. That ‘almost’ is important because the ideal scenario is that machine learning does not replace humans but supports them, making them more efficient and productive.
AI tools feed on data and then learn to identify patterns to help them make predictions, solve problems, and learn from their own mistakes. They also need algorithms, which are the ‘rules’ by which they are governed and must be followed in the right order to complete a task.
Those algorithms are embedded in our daily lives and AI is creating astonishing possibilities because of the speed with which it analyses and uses information. Of course, with any such development there is bound to be concern and negativity – that’s natural – and the wider construction industry is in a bit of a quandary.
Just under half of 950 industry managers surveyed by the recruitment specialist Hays thought AI should be embraced, but 42% were not so sure and the other 11% were positively alarmed at the prospect.
Security
Many acknowledged that AI tools like Jasper and ChatGPT could deliver cost savings (41%) and improve productivity (28%) but only 15% of construction and property firms told Hays they were allowing staff to use AI tools unmonitored and nearly a quarter (22%) said they would ban them on security grounds.
This shows we still have work to do to fully embed digital thinking into our supply chains, even though we have made major strides in recent times. For example, digital twins (virtual models of buildings – existing or planned) are now being more widely used to inform design and retrofitting decisions.
Many are now being enhanced by AI-driven analysis allowing engineers to rapidly test a series of theoretical scenarios in the virtual world before adjusting or retrofitting anything in reality. This reduces risk, cuts upfront costs, and makes for far better outcomes for the end client by giving engineers the freedom to test and fail before settling on the right solution.
For retrofit projects, a building’s current energy performance can be closely analysed via thousands of data points, allowing managers to identify the highest sources of energy consumption and consider a wide range of options for improving performance. HVAC and lighting are responsible for upwards of 50% of energy use in a typical commercial building – so this is significant.
Upgrades and improvements can be tested before implementation via the digital twin. For example, new windows, upgrades to the HVAC system, improved insulation, or scope for renewable energy generation, such as solar panels can be assessed before implementation.
Harnessing these digital advances to AI technology means analysis can be carried out at blistering speeds and multiple variations can be tested. AI also allows HVAC controls to ‘learn’ about changes in usage or to the local weather etc. so systems can automatically recalibrate without the need for human intervention.
The Capgemini Research Institute estimates that this kind of development means AI could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 16% by 2030 and help organisations and governments work towards their net zero goals.
Evidence of progress in our sector is all around with the launch of multiple AI tools aimed directly at our market. Some work with BIM models to extract product information, generate 2D images and link other data sources, for example. Others read and ‘understand’ contracts and documents, from tender requests to subcontract agreements and make intelligent comparisons and risk analyses to help contractors make crucial financial decisions.
At Swegon, our response to this digital transformation of building services is to embrace it and we have developed our innovative INSIDE system which can be used to view, monitor, and provide in-depth analysis of the performance of multiple compatible HVAC units in a single building or throughout a property portfolio.
INSIDE’s analytics tool supports building management in line with operational targets and to support facilities management strategies with augmented data for reporting, cost analysis, and to drive sustainability. The Visualiser tool also displays temperature, air quality, air flow, humidity, and sound levels, current and historic. It compares the indoor climate with other similar properties and allows for direct feedback from the occupants to help managers make the right decisions about building services settings.
Immature
This is an example of how rapid advances in data analytics can support the building services industry’s ambition for improving the built environment – and as AI becomes embedded into more processes that approach will only get faster and more accurate.
However, many firms still don’t believe they have the right skills to exploit AI and the industry remains comparatively immature when it comes to adopting digital techniques. Even where building operators collect data, not enough time is spent analysing it and using it to support decision making and building management strategies.
This means we are missing out on huge potential performance improvements in existing buildings, which is where we must focus if we are to get anywhere close to our net zero goals.
BESA President Claire Curran alluded to this in her first presidential speech. She pointed out that businesses were being digitised “whether they like it or not” and urged the industry to embrace the way communication and information capture was changing.
“Artificial intelligence is here. You can either fight it and get left behind or get on board and be a thought leader. AI is out and is not going back in its box,” said Curran.
“My business is all about operating buildings and making them better and to do that successfully you need fantastic data with great in-depth analysis. Harnessing AI to some of the digital improvements we have already made like 4D modelling, APIs and data mining will make us more efficient and productive.”
She pointed out that tight profit margins and skills shortages made it more important than ever that building services firms operated “effectively and efficiently”.
“As we move deeper into this digital age, we will see more ‘real life’ operating information being harvested at astonishing speeds and then used to create strategies for reducing energy and carbon, and for keeping buildings safe and compliant,” she said.
She added that the “digital takeover” would require “completely new skills” but was also “an amazing opportunity to reach out to the new generation and state our case for being their career of choice” so they could contribute “to a better, greener future”.
However, the fragmented nature of our supply chains can complicate matters. Contractual arrangements often make it hard to establish who owns data and the practice of sharing information does not come naturally to many in our sector.
Yet, the kind of analysis on offer from AI could finally crack the productivity problem the building and property management sectors have been struggling with for decades. More efficient use of data can help us to streamline workflows and improve project delivery.
In fact, it would not be unreasonable to say that without improving data gathering and analysis we will simply not achieve our net zero goals and climate change ambitions.
Multiple studies have revealed that we lack the number of people we need with the skills to deliver the energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions central to net zero. AI could speed up many of the repetitive tasks currently carried out by humans – and free up more people to focus on the value-added work.
Imagined
AI also means we can now monitor and control the indoor climate in ways we would never have imagined possible just a few years ago. The speed with which the technology is advancing and the improvements to sensor technology and connectivity put detailed data about temperatures, sound levels and humidity at our fingertips in ‘real time’.
This has significant health implications as we can dive deeply and quickly into levels of CO2 and other pollutants inside a room or building and then make quick decisions about the best mitigation measures.
Maintenance can also be better planned, and operational issues solved before the indoor climate is affected. Energy efficiency can be noticeably improved as recommendations are made based on historic, current, and AI-forecasted information.
However, we must improve cooperation and collaboration. As well as collecting and analysing data, we must be able to share it with all the interested parties for mutual benefit – but most importantly to support the health, well-being, and productivity of every building user.
*Originally published in The BESA Book 2024.
