It is widely known that buildings account for more than 40% of the world’s carbon footprint, arguably the single largest contributor of CO2 emissions. Many efforts are underway to reduce that footprint, and one that is gaining momentum is the use of AI to better understand the built environment and how people use indoor space. This knowledge can help lower carbon emissions by making buildings more conducive to human needs.
Today, one of the most talked about indoor spaces is the workplace and how it continues to evolve. Overall, when you consider the office, most would agree that there is often an unbalanced use of space. Employees have hybrid work schedules, gather in person with colleagues online, hold one-on-one meetings, reserve private phone booths, collaborate in open work areas, and more. Some areas go unused while others feel crowded. While these aspects reflect the modern-day workforce, it raises the question of how effective the office is when it comes to supporting productivity, collaboration, and energy efficiency.
Further, when occupancy is skewed or dramatically fluctuates, especially during a heat wave or snowstorm, it requires facility managers to adapt building operations. This isn’t always possible to do in real time without a clear understanding of occupant needs.
Now, shifting gears to another use for buildings, think about an often overlooked yet critical population—older adults. By 2030, one in six adults will be over the age of 60. As demographics shift, the need to support older adults will increase, requiring safer, more energy efficient buildings that can anticipate the needs of residents and the staff supporting them.
These are just two examples of the increasing need to make buildings more responsive, resulting in greater efficiencies. You can probably identify similar challenges impacting nearly every building today. AI can provide the much-needed insight to support more strategic decisions about building management by understanding how humans use indoor space.
How AI Makes Buildings More Responsive
However, using AI in the office or any building often prompts discussions about the privacy of individuals and building data. There is a way to ensure anonymity of individuals by focusing on body heat sensing data. Instead of tracking individuals, you have the ability to know if a person, not a specific individual, is using a particular space. It is achieved through the combination of AI and body heat sensing technology.
While technology exists to understand foot traffic, occupancy, and coffee badging, so can a lot of other types of person-counting technology. AI adds another level of insight—one that allows you to gain an understanding of human behavior that is more insightful than how people come and go into the office or if they are greeting visitors in their room.
By employing AI and body-heat based sensors that respect privacy and ensure anonymity, you can capture valuable data on occupancy and body posture across millions of square feet of real estate. The data provides insights that help optimize space usage, enhance comfort, and significantly reduce carbon footprints. This ensures that energy consumption aligns with actual needs, maximizing efficiency while maintaining a comfortable environment for occupants.
For example, a Fortune 500 company was able to discern employee actions such as chair rollbacks and huddles, which are great and subtle indicators that their teams were holding impromptu meetings. This informed office layouts and team scheduling, leading to higher productivity and retention while underscoring the employer’s commitment to privacy.
Another large employer was able to gather data about individuals squatting in conference rooms and its impact on energy consumption. What they learned is that this behavior reflected that the office did not have the proper ratio of private to public meeting space, resulting in inefficient heating and cooling.
By understanding human behavior and spotting workplace trends, you will know if office layouts and corporate policies are conducive to productivity and collaboration while supporting efforts to maximize energy efficiency.
Applying this to senior care communities, which struggle with a labor shortage, data can be used to inform staff scheduling based on trend data. This can provide insight for proactive detection of potential and preventable health issues such as frailty based on subtle changes in movement.
From a building manager’s point of view, AI can support dynamic energy management by continuously monitoring energy consumption while identifying patterns and inefficiencies and quickly make adjustments. Additionally, it allows you to get ahead of potential maintenance issues before they lead to downtime.
As we navigate the complexities of modern life, balancing shifting demographics in buildings along with the need to lower our carbon footprint, the integration of AI into our infrastructures is inevitable. Smart buildings equipped with AI body heat-based sensors can transform will not only respond to changing conditions but also anticipate the needs of their occupants, creating spaces that are comfortable, safe, and energy efficient. By listening to what our buildings have to say through advanced data analytics, we have the potential to make a positive impact on the planet, one building at a time.
