Building Electrification Powering Energy Transition’s Future

Something you may have observed while reading other features across Energy Digital, as the global demand for electricity grows, the drive towards electrification is having a profound impact and is significantly reshaping the energy landscape. 

As this feature will dive into and address, this shift is pivotal for addressing climate change and achieving sustainability goals, particularly net zero.

Electrification is just one of the ways that the growing demand in line with the needs of society is being addressed. 

One of the companies taking on the challenges to electrify the world in a safe, smart and sustainable way is ABB. A technology leader in electrification and automation, ABB works across distribution and management and collaborates with customers and partners alike to enhance energy efficiency and drive sustainability.

Buildings, which account for 40% of global energy consumption and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, represent a significant opportunity to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

“Within this challenge lies significant opportunity to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact,” says ABB’s Global Head of Strategy, Sustainability & Portfolio Management of its Smart Buildings division, Fabio Mercurio, calling the way we power the buildings we live and work in as “an integral piece of the energy transition puzzle”.

All-electric buildings key to net zero

The place where electrification, smart buildings and advanced energy technologies converge, Fabio shares, helps to create a more sustainable future.

“From optimising energy use to incorporating renewable energy sources and adopting green building practices, concerted efforts in reducing carbon emissions in commercial buildings are essential for fostering a healthier, more sustainable built environment while combating climate change on a significant scale,” he continues.

“Rapidly advancing technology is enabling our buildings to be smarter and more efficient than ever before. As home residents we can enjoy apps for managing everything from our security systems to lighting and car charging. Where things get more interesting is applying this technology to larger, mixed use commercial buildings. 

“While smart buildings’ technology is available and progressing at full speed, the real challenge lies in meeting differing — and sometimes conflicting — customer needs.”

Highlighting how the use of electrification has grown in popularity in recent years with more time and money being invested in its capabilities, Claire Brown, PhD researcher at the Tyndall Centre and Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Manchester joins the conversation.

“Of course, one of the most popular ideas is that of ‘self-generation’ which can come from solar and wind power,” Claire, who is also a Senior Sustainability Consultant at Turner & Townsend, begins. “Experts are calling for the government to make electrification methods like renewables part of mandatory compliance for new buildings, integrating within a smart system efficiently and providing renewable power as the new standard. By investing further in electrification and renewable options, we can begin to build a more sustainable future.”

Fabio adds that when taking into account the different functions buildings rely on — electrical and mechanical installations through to elevators, escalators and security systems — integrating data to optimise energy efficiency and comfort for all users can be complex. But, as electric solutions for building occupants and managers develop, technology promises ease for users.

“When all solutions — irrespective of the brand or manufacturer — communicate with one another, not only can complexity and overwhelm be eliminated, but advanced efficiencies are also made possible,” he explains. ”Enabling greater connectivity and integration between devices can increase energy efficiency and ultimately accelerate a building’s decarbonisation.”

Electrification: A double-edged sword? 

From Claire’s point of view, the number one challenge associated with electrification is the impact on the grid. Although she sees the integration of diverse clean energy technologies shaping the future of electrification, there are obstacles — as well as opportunities — on the horizon.

Pressure on the grid can be managed, she says, through methods such as load shifting, self-generation and increasing the availability of electricity while moving away from gas-based power. 

“New and retrofit buildings should consider removing access to gas networks as the new norm, moving towards more electrification options as standard,” she details. “In terms of opportunities, clean energy solutions offer us plenty of different opportunities. With retrofit being the future of buildings and integrations with smart technologies, we can use more carbon-friendly energy sources to ensure better thermal comfort. For new buildings, better air ventilation through ducting will enable better hot and cool air flow for occupant thermal comfort via both warm and cool air being moved through the ventilation, creating a stable temperature throughout the building.”

Agreeing with Claire about simplifying processes and ensuring comfort being paramount to the success of electrifying buildings, Fabio advocates that ensuring smart and sustainable functionality, these elements must be embedded at the beginning of a build — from design to construction processes — to create a future-proof building build for efficiency, security, convenience and comfort. 

“But just as important as smartification in the new build sector is revolutionising our existing buildings, set to serve us for decades to come and each and every one with its unique structure,” he says, underpinning the importance of meaningful and long-lasting retrofits.

“By enhancing our smart building solutions to a system that is holistic, connected, bi-directional and integrated, we can fulfil the needs for all types of multi-dwelling, mixed-use properties.  This will enable the greatest possible impact in energy management and superior convenience in smart communities.

“We now have the technology, and through the power of partnership, we can create the energy-smart, sustainable communities of our future.”

Partnerships are integral to the success of electrified buildings

On the subject of partnerships, ABB has been working closely with other industry titans to enhance functionality and energy efficiency of smart buildings. One such partner is Samsung, which ABB works with to connect the smart buildings of the future.

“Smart buildings of the future use connected devices and appliances integrated through a centralised system to save money, time and energy,” Fabio explains. “This is where partnership is essential and has the power to be genuinely groundbreaking. A case in point is our global partnership with Samsung Electronics platform.   

​”Samsung’s SmartThings includes more than 350 different partners and their products. When this is combined with our own solutions, it covers literally every smart building solution needed. ​Occupants can use their own devices to manage the full spectrum of services from electric vehicle charging to lighting shading and security with only one user interface​.” 

Fabio adds that as well as bringing comfort and convenience to occupants and building owners alike, collaborations like ABB and Samsung’s deliver improvements in critical areas such as energy efficiency. 

“Off-peak tariffs can be utilised while supporting grid optimisation and achieving lower energy costs.,” he continues. “This is why vendor collaboration is so important — the whole becomes much greater than the sum of the parts. The technology that’s so rapidly evolving in residential buildings is now expanding into the commercial sector, especially in mixed-use buildings which are becoming increasingly popular.”

For Claire, collaborations are also of the utmost value. She emphasises academic-industry collaborations and the part they play in accelerating the adoption of clean energy solutions in smart buildings and how research contributes to smart building infrastructure.

“Working in collaboration with practitioners and academics will help us to find more practical solutions that are in line with theoretical examinations that can be realised,” she says. “Ensuring people are not siloed is also essential, with supply chains being connected between construction providers, architects, material providers and academics as standard to maximise productivity and outputs.

“Within the academic space, research progress is being made all the time. Allowing for collaboration will help all parties, with the industry gaining access to the latest information and academics being able to view what is and isn’t working in current practices.

The power of research to support real-life work is essential for electrification to succeed.”

Fabio concurs, highlighting how the key to progress lies in the evolution of open technology and industry collaboration. He firmly believes that, as open systems technology enables the addressing of real challenges in providing the right kind of connectivity access and functionality to property managers, it also enables a unit to be individualised for the tenant. 

“Partnerships between like-minded partners can make this a reality,” he declares. “This can help smart buildings to incorporate a diverse range of devices and technology and operate in full harmony.”

From what we’ve heard from leaders in business and education, electrification is undeniably reshaping the energy landscape. As the global demand for electricity grows, the approach to electrification of traditional assets is driven by the urgent need to address climate change and achieve sustainability goals, net zero in particular.

Ultimately, the future of electrification — particularly when it comes to buildings — lies in harnessing the power of technology and partnerships. This creation of energy-smart, sustainable assets not only meet the growing demand for electricity but also pave the way for a greener, more efficient world.

To see the full interview in the magazine, READ HERE.

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