Five predictions for buildings in 2024

Reporting and regulations will be the main driver, but whatever happens, businesses and building owners will reduce their carbon emissions because it is in their best interest to their investors, shareholders and customers .

In this article, we will look at how (and why) businesses will increasingly focus on optimizing their energy consumption in 2024 with the aim of reducing their carbon footprint. The authors will discuss these predictions:

• Building performance is a top priority
  • It is inevitable that building performance will receive increased attention, as will the implications for the rest of the country's commercial property landscape.
  • In France, the building sector currently represents 43% of annual energy consumption, and it generates 23% of greenhouse gas emissions. We therefore easily understand the challenge of reducing this consumption in the face of the state of emergency of the energy crisis. In this context, two decrees have come into force to accelerate the energy transition of buildings. The Tertiary Eco-Energy decree to reduce building consumption and the BACS decree to better manage it.
• Artificial intelligence: reduction of energy consumption and optimization of equipment
  • AI is rapidly advancing in the energy space, particularly in the corporate real estate and smart grid sectors, and this increased adoption will drive technological advancements.
  • AI represents a significant advantage for site managers who manage complex equipment. It is in fact capable of collecting and analyzing thousands of internal and external variables in order to predict breakdowns and detect a malfunction.
• Renovate instead of build
  • To reduce carbon emissions linked to steel and concrete manufacturing, it is more attractive to modernize existing buildings rather than build.
  • The renovation of buildings allows for better energy efficiency, improved comfort for occupants and can be carried out while preserving the identity and aesthetics of historic structures.
• The rise of electric vehicles requires mastery of charging
  • Societal effects are emerging with the increasing electrification of transport and local authorities are paying increasing attention to how charging stations affect the network as the government encourages the acquisition of electric vehicles through tax credits.
  • Electric vehicle systems are an integral part of buildings and managers will need monitoring tools to ensure energy adapts to peak consumption.
• Clean indoor air is essential
  • Indoor air quality is a critical concern for consumers and employees who cannot telecommute. They want to be assured that they are occupying a healthy space, especially when the outside is polluted.
• More sensors will be installed as businesses proactively manage indoor air quality.

Tribune by Joël Désiré, Product Manager, connected building solutions at Distech Controls (LinkedIn).