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- \n Study quantifies impact of technology upgrades on energy performance and carbon reduction in office buildings\n <\/li>\n
- \n Research finds retrofitting buildings using a digital-first approach is best pathway to decarbonization\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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\nHONG KONG SAR –
\nMedia OutReach<\/a> – 6 October 2023 – Retrofitting buildings using a digital-first approach is the best pathway to decarbonization, according to new research from
\nSchneider Electric<\/a>, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation.<\/p>\nBuildings represent an estimated 37% of global carbon emissions[i]<\/a>, and as about half of today’s buildings are still likely to be in use in 2050[ii]<\/u><\/u><\/a>, the sector must urgently reduce operational carbon emissions, by making buildings more energy efficient.\n<\/p>\n
The
\nresearch findings<\/a> show that deploying Schneider Electric’s digital building and power management solutions[iii]<\/a> in existing office buildings could reduce their operational carbon emissions by up to 42% with a payback period of less than three years. If fossil fuel-powered heating technologies are replaced with electric-powered alternatives, and a microgrid with local renewable energy sources is installed, all-electric, all-digital buildings will see an additional 28% reduction in operational carbon emissions resulting in a total reduction of up to 70%.\n<\/p>\nMike Kazmierczak, Vice President of the Digital Energy Decarbonization Office, the team leading the science-based research and product innovation to accelerate the energy transition within Schneider Electric’s Digital Energy division, explained that, “Tackling operational emissions is the number-one lever to decarbonize existing buildings at scale and achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2050. This breakthrough research reveals that reducing carbon emissions by up to 70% is feasible if we transform our existing building stock into energy-efficient, fully-electrified and digitized assets.”\n<\/p>\n
The research, carried out with the global design firm
\nWSP<\/a>, is based on modeling the energy performance and carbon emissions of a large office building built in the early 2000s across various U.S. Climate Zones[iv]<\/a>. This digital approach to building renovations is, however, applicable to all building types and climates, and is, therefore, the most effective building decarbonization strategy, yielding fast results with lower ‘upfront carbon’[v]<\/a>.\n<\/p>\nRenovating through the deployment of digital technologies is not only less disruptive to daily operations, but also more effective from a lifecycle carbon perspective. Failing to rapidly decarbonize buildings could also result in stranded assets that lose value and are unattractive to both investors and tenants.\n<\/p>\n
Furthermore,
\nrecent research<\/a> from the
\nBoston University Institute for Global Sustainability<\/a> and the
\nSchneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute<\/a> estimates that there is a sizable potential to create new jobs through the transition to low-carbon buildings.\n<\/p>\nSchneider Electric is
\nwidely recognized<\/a> as an
\nimpact company<\/a> and a leader in decarbonization. Its connected products, software and sustainability services help drive operational efficiency, eliminate energy waste, and provide strategies for carbon reduction in buildings, factories,
\ndata centers<\/a>, infrastructure, and homes. Schneider Electric’s research and decarbonization scenarios offer immediate, practical solutions to help organizations navigate the complexities of the energy transition.\n<\/p>\nTo learn more about the findings of Schneider’s research and three step process (strategize, digitize, decarbonize) to accelerate the path to net-zero buildings,
\nvisit here<\/a>.
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Related resources:<\/b>
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\n\n [i]<\/a> Tracking Clean Energy Progress (International Energy Agency 2022).\n <\/div>\n\n [ii]<\/a> Energy Technology Perspectives (International Energy Agency 2020).\n <\/div>\n\n [iii]<\/a> Schneider Electric solutions include EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Advisor, Connected Room Solutions, Accusine power factor correction and harmonic filtering, PowerLogic submetering\n <\/div>\n\n [iv]<\/a> Using the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) 90.1-2004 baseline for large offices (12-stories, 46728 m2).\n <\/div>\n