Will AI Be Important to the Future of Eco Construction?
One of the biggest polluters is global construction as it is responsible for 38% of global energy consumption. Buildings also account for 40% of global final energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gases. This will be able to change with the technological advances that are AI the future of sustainable construction is promising. AI will be able help architects and designers work with new design tools, sustainable materials and methods.
According to InHabitat, AI can continue to be used after construction to analyze how occupants use a building or community space, and to plan around occupant needs to minimize emissions. For example, AI can be used to automatically adjust heat and cooling levels according to how occupants use a building or based on time of day or adjust building systems and warn occupants of excessive use according to seasonal droughts to reduce water waste and achieve SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) clean water goals. According to TS2.space, AI can additionally be used to monitor for problems that avoid costly building repairs, and can help retrofit older buildings with the most efficient energy upgrades to help building owners maximize efficiency without breaking the bank.
To promote circularity and reduce construction waste or building maintenance, AI can predict the best construction materials for a particular location or building use and plan out the most efficient shape, construction method, or timeline for building in an efficient way.
Nokia says that 78% of telcos are relying on AI to improve the energy efficiency of their network energy use.
“From the originally produced energy in power plants only 90% ‘arrive’ at the network so there is already a loss of 10% during energy transmission,” said Nokia. “From this remaining energy about 80% is consumed by the radio access, the rest by transport, core and OSS. Thirty percent of that network energy (35% of the original energy) is consumed by auxiliary passive components such as air conditioning and power systems so that only 70% (65% of the original energy) is consumed by the network elements itself.”
Finally, there are green spaces to plan and quality of life to consider for achieving SDG 15 (Life on Land) goals. AI can help plan out local landscaping plants, help improve air quality, and plan out how to integrate green spaces to connect surrounding building spaces and communities.