CO2 Emmissions
Building Electrification Demands Smart Adaptation
December 16th, 2021A Critical Moment of Opportunity Demands an Open Smart Buildings Market
August 30th, 2021
Policy Not Technology Stands in the Way of Greener Buildings
Net-zero feels like the ultimate green goal for our buildings to reduce their collective impact on the environment. Currently responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, the decarbonization of the buildings sector has long been seen as one of the most effective ways to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The reality, however, is […]
Will Biden Inauguration Mark a Turning Point for the Smart Buildings Market?
Today Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the US, marking the end of the Trump administration. During four years in office, Trump reversed more than 100 environmental regulations, dismantling major climate policies, and rolling back numerous green policies, including many that sought to bring about efficiency in our buildings. This […]
Developing a ‘Stand-By Mode’ for Buildings in the COVID-Era
As COVID-19 cases rose and lockdown measures came into effect around the world, commercial building occupancy dropped dramatically, from 100% to almost zero in the space of a week in many places. Many might expect near-zero occupancy to mean near-zero energy consumption, but new data reveals that this is not the case. In fact, many […]
Leaping from the COVID Frying Pan into the Climate Fire
Months of inactive offices, shopping malls, and sports centers. Minimal commuters, business travelers, and holidaymakers. Little to no in-person conferences, concerts, or socializing. The COVID-19 crisis has brought our society to a standstill more than any other point in the last 70-years, and while human society may be having a tough time, our environment is […]
Moving Past Net Zero Buildings to Whole Life Carbon through Embodied Energy
“Climate change is undoubtedly the greatest challenge of our times. We need to take urgent action to almost halve global emissions by 2030 and eliminate them completely by the middle of the century,” says Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC. “It is in this context that the term ‘net zero carbon’ has started to enter […]
Dumb Buildings Are Stranded Assets In The New Climate Economy
If we don’t address climate change and keep anthropogenic warming under the 2°C threshold set out by the Paris Climate Accord, then we will face the wrath of nature through rapidly rising sea levels, increased drought and wildfires, and other trends that will make life on earth more difficult — this is the physical risk […]
The Biggest Urban Challenges are being Ignored in the Smart City Agenda
In an article published on October 4th, we discussed how the technological evolution of buildings is creating a complex landscape of lifecycles across the system and structural elements in smart facilities. The article, based on our latest report, argues that in order to future proof a smart building we must find a system of design […]
Building Energy Flexibility into Our Smart Power Systems
It is the same old problem. The large-scale distribution of renewable energy generation is required to mitigate the impacts of fuel poverty and climate change but these intermittent power sources push the grid to its limits or beyond them. The solution is the same too. We must develop a more flexible power system to account […]
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