Using digital building and energy management solutions, as well as electrification, use of renewable energy sources and installation of microgrids, CO2 emissions from office buildings can be reduced by up to 70 percent, according to research by Schneider Electric. The shift to low-CO2 buildings could also create a significant amount of new jobs.
Buildings account for 37 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and with around half of existing facilities likely to remain in use in 2050, to protect our planet, there is an urgent need to reduce their emissions, for example by increasing their energy efficiency. Schneider Electric is a multinational leader in energy management and industrial automation solutions Results of his new research It has been shown that by implementing the company’s digital building and energy management solutions in existing office buildings, CO2 emissions from the operation of the property can be reduced by up to 42 percent, and the systems are paid for in less than three years. By replacing fossil fuel heating technologies with electric alternatives and installing a microgrid using local renewable energy sources, CO2 emissions from all-electric and digital buildings can be reduced by an additional 28%, or up to 70% of the facility’s total emissions.
“Managing CO2 emissions associated with building operations is the first tool to decarbonize existing buildings and achieve the net-zero emissions targets set for 2050. This advanced research reveals that CO2 emissions could be reduced by up to 70 percent if we converted our existing building stock To energy efficient, fully electrified and digital properties. – noted Mike Kazmierczak, Vice President of the Digital Energy Decarbonization Office, which handles scientific research and product development related to accelerating the energy transition within Schneider Electric’s Digital Energy business unit.
the With the international design company WSP In the context of the joint research, modeling of energy performance and CO2 emissions of a large office building built in the early 2000s in different climate zones of the United States was taken as a basis. However, it is important to stress that the digital approach to retrofitting can be applied to all building types and climates, making it the most effective decarbonization strategy in construction that achieves rapid results and has a positive impact on emissions related to building materials.
In addition to the fact that renovation using digital technologies is less disruptive to the daily operation of the facility, it is also more efficient in terms of expected CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle of the building. If landlords fail to quickly decarbonize their properties, they will end up with older buildings that significantly lose value and are unattractive to investors and tenants.
the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability And the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute Fresh research according to
Schneider Electric is widely recognized as a leader in carbon removal. Its networked products, software and sustainability services help increase operational efficiency, eliminate energy waste and provide strategies to reduce carbon emissions in buildings, factories, data centres, infrastructure and homes. Schneider Electric’s research and decarbonization scenarios provide immediate, practical solutions that help organizations address complex issues related to the energy transition.
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