Green Building Tech: Trends to Watch in 2019

Green building is on the rise worldwide. This trend started out slow, but according to the current state of things, it appears that more and more corporations are implementing it in their day-to-day operations.

The Johnson Controls headquarters building in Shanghai, China is the perfect example of this. This building is the first one in China to earn three green certifications, including China’s Green Building Design Label, LEED NC Platinum, and the World Bank’s EDGE.

The green revolution in architecture is enabled by hybrid building tech. This technology has brought a sense of sustainability in green building projects. Here are the top green building tech trends to watch in 2019.

Energy Analysis

According to the World Green Building Trends report, energy analysis is one of the green building tech trends that deserves all the attention in 2019. Architects can now use analysis tools during the very first stages of design to analyze building performance.

The building’s energy consumption has to be planned in great detail. And energy analysis tools enable experts to assess the building’s energy requirements at every stage of the design process. Finding the most optimal solution has become the number one interest for green architects and engineers. This is why they use several different tools to assess the project’s energy needs before they are able to settle with the basic design decisions.

The Use of Generative Design

New technologies have empowered design software to be able to calculate and predict even the most sophisticated aspects of building performance. This provides engineers with exact numbers. This is far better than dealing with “potential performance”. On top of that, new generative capabilities enable the software to generate a number of designs based on the given energy-performance parameters.

The use of generative design can help engineers to identify the best performing green materials for the building they are constructing, where they have to be used, along with buildings optimal window placements, orientation, and glazing.

Internet of Things

IoT is entering the world of green building on a red carpet. A plethora of IoT sensors can help buildings auto-regulate. These sensors can measure many things. There are sensors that measure air quality, occupancy, and temperature. And all of this is done in real-time. This process enables building-management systems to work with real data and adjust building performance accordingly.

Furthermore, sensor data has several major implications:

• Inspire new human-friendly design strategies by allowing architects to understand how people use space
• Buildings will become more predictive - by using data from weather forecast buildings, they can adjust the temperature to deliver an exceptional experience
• Buildings can turn on ventilation systems based on the occupancy value to improve the quality of air

Artificial Intelligence

AI is slowly but surely entering the engineering and construction sector. Although severely under-digitized, the E&C sector has recognized the modern needs of the green building movement and is now seeking solutions with the implementation of AI.

By looking at huge data sets, AI is capable of delivering the most optimal choices, in terms of materials used, and analyzing the design to pinpoint the stages where improvements can be made toward better energy consumption and reduced carbon emission.

These are the 4 major green building tech trends to watch in 2019. For more information on the green initiatives Focus takes in our developments, reach out to us today!