Artificial Intelligence in healthcare and hospitals as a change driver towards carbon neutrality

The urgency of combatting climate change through concrete, practical measures has surely not escaped anyone. Looking across all sectors of life, only a very small minority would argue against the logic that decisive action must be taken to decelerate global warming and overcome the obstacles to a sustainable future.

But what exactly does ‘decisive action’ mean for private businesses? How can the existential threat of climate change be countered in a way that is simultaneously effective, financially sustainable, and not perceived as ineffectual greenwashing?

For ABB and BrainBox AI, smart technologies that streamline the energy efficiency of both new and older buildings and safeguard the well-being of their occupants is of central importance in reducing the sector’s extensive carbon footprint. Perhaps the most important point of departure in discussing these technologies is the smart building concept.

ABB Ability™ Efficiency AI, powered by BrainBox AI, is a cutting-edge technology and SaaS that enhances existing HVAC equipment into predictive and self-adaptive HVAC systems for healthcare and hospital facilities. Efficiency AI enhances existing building systems with no retrofitting or additional sensors required. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and proprietary algorithms, the solution autonomously drives HVAC systems by writing back to the controller in real-time, increasing energy efficiency, saving money, and reducing carbon emissions.

Sustainability challenges in commercial real estate, coupled with advancements in hardware infrastructure and AI, drove the development of Efficiency AI. Buildings produce close to one-fifth of the world’s total carbon emissions. HVAC systems are leading contributors to rising GHGs, responsible for 45 per cent of commercial building energy consumption. What’s worse, 30 per cent of commercial building energy consumption is wasted.¹

“A lack of energy efficiency in buildings can be a significant barrier to our customers achieving their ESG targets,” said Ben Fuller, U.S. Sales Leader for ABB Building Solutions. “ABB’s Efficiency AI solution gives building owners and operators real-time data and autonomous technology that can help reduce a building’s carbon footprint by up to 40 per cent.”

Connecting directly to a commercial office building, medical facility, academic building, retail shopping property or other commercial HVAC systems, Efficiency AI utilises existing data from building systems to optimise HVAC control, establishing thermodynamic behaviour patterns based on advanced deep learning models. These patterns inform autonomous decisions that transform HVAC systems from reactive to pre-emptive or “self-driving”, eliminating the need for human input, mitigating energy waste, and improving ROI and equipment service life.

“Increasing the availability of autonomous AI through ABB’s leading sales teams and system integrators will accelerate the adoption of BrainBox AI’s market-leading solution,” said Frank Sullivan, Chief Commercial Officer for BrainBox AI. “Addressing the need to reduce and avoid emissions in the built environment, ABB’s clients now have an additional tool to optimise the energy efficiency of their buildings.”

The AI solutions give building owners and operators real-time data and autonomous technology that help reduce building carbon footprints, supporting net zero and cost reduction goals.

What are the features and benefits?

Features:

• Connects directly to a building’s HVAC system and utilises data to optimise HVAC control.
• Transforms HVAC systems from reactive to preemptive by making decisions based on advanced deep learning models.
• Autonomously drives a building’s HVAC system, requiring no human interaction.
   

Benefits:

• Up to 40 per cent reduction in carbon footprint: Meet or exceed ESG targets; access and track building’s unique emissions data for easy reporting; and comply with energy efficiency and emissions limits
• Up to 25 per cent reduction in HVAC energy costs: Lower HVAC bills and operating costs; increase net operating income; and improve building’s EUI
• Up to 50 per cent extension of equipment service life: Reduce equipment runtime; defer expensive retrofits and equipment replacement; and decrease maintenance costs, service calls, and truck rolls
   

Find out more about real-world case studies where AI has made a significant impact: Download whitepaper.

^{1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}

Image: Supplied