Smart buildings are no longer a niche market. Rising energy costs and a targeted focus on emissions reduction have underscored the importance of resource management. As a result, more than 115 million smart buildings are expected to be operational by 2026 – a 150% increase from 2022. This incredible growth highlights the critical importance of digitalisation in innovative building design.

Utilising embedded smart sensors, digital twins, automated monitoring systems, and advanced data analytics in the building design is key to meeting sustainability goals. These integrations transform energy management, enhance sustainability, and improve operational reliability throughout a building’s lifetime.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Digitisation or digitalisation?

It's important to understand the difference between power digitisation and digitalisation. Power digitisation refers to converting analog data into a digital format, such as moving from paper records to digital ones.

Power digitalisation, however, takes that digitised data to the next level. Procured from embedded IoT (Internet of things) sensors, digital twins, and automated monitoring systems, the data is leveraged to provide:

• Optimised energy efficiency: Real-time adjustments based on data analytics reduce waste and lower costs. Automated smart systems regulate lighting, heating, and cooling based on occupancy and usage patterns.

• Enhanced sustainability: Advanced monitoring tracks and manages carbon footprints, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. Data-driven insights identify inefficiencies and recommend improvements, supporting green building certifications and reducing overall environmental impact.

• Operational reliability: Predictive maintenance through continuous monitoring and automated alerts helps prevent failures and reduces downtime. Proactive identification of potential issues in electrical equipment allows for timely interventions before problems escalate.

• Advanced data analytics: Provide deeper insights into energy consumption patterns, power quality, and operational performance. Leveraging analytics informs decision-making, optimises resource allocation, and improves building management.

Practical implementation strategies in new smart building designs

Digitalisation also has the benefit of future-proofing smart buildings for technologies we have yet to consider.
Some key strategies ensure a building’s electrical infrastructure is designed for performance, informed decisions, and future technologies from the beginning.

• Early integration: It is crucial to incorporate power digitalisation during the initial design phase. Strategically placing smart sensors, IoT devices, and monitoring systems at optimal points within the electrical infrastructure helps avoid the complexities of retrofitting existing buildings.

• Proactive planning: A comprehensive digitalisation strategy that includes future-proofing considerations should address emerging technologies, industry standards, and potential scalability requirements. For example, incorporating infrastructure for eMobility charging stations from the outset ensures compliance with evolving building codes. It also supports future electric vehicle adoption.

• Digital twins and design tools: These advanced tools streamline the implementation process. Digital twins create a virtual replica of a building’s power system, enabling designers to simulate and optimise performance before construction begins. They also support the concept of a “live digital twin,” where the digital model remains updated with real-time data from the building’s systems. This allows for continuous optimisation and future scalability.

Power digitalisation applied in real-world cases

At Hexeis, we have been at the forefront of numerous successful power digitalisation projects, leveraging our expertise and innovation in real-world applications.

For example, we worked with a hospital in Brisbane that faced significant delays in a car park project due to overestimated power demand – primarily for electric vehicle (EV) chargers. We leveraged digitised data from an existing car park, and with that, the project team corrected the consultants’ overestimations. This adjustment allowed the hospital to use the existing substation capacity. It saved hundreds of thousands of dollars and avoided a six to eight-month delay—making this an informed, cost-effective decision directly resulting from power digitalisation.

Another hospital required a power system upgrade to improve resilience. Due to their fully digitised circuit breakers and comprehensive data collection since 2011, they saved approximately $400,000 (AUD) during the engineering study phase. The existing data allowed for a detailed and accurate redesign, and the project ended up a few million dollars cheaper than initially estimated.

Future trends and technologies for innovative building design

As smart buildings become the norm, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will continue to shape power digitalisation. These technologies will undoubtedly enhance the capabilities of digital twins and automated monitoring systems and enable more accurate predictions and proactive maintenance.

The integration of IoT devices will also expand, allowing for more comprehensive data collection and analysis. New trends include the development of more intelligent energy storage solutions and grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) that optimise energy use dynamically. Together, these innovations will enhance energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational reliability in building designs in the future.

For more information about energy and automation, and digital solutions for efficiency, sustainability, and resilience, including how Hexeis can help tailor a solution for your business, contact our team today.

At Hexeis, we can help you see the bigger picture and understand power digitalisation's impact on your facilities, operations, and decarbonisation goals, as well as provide practical advice on greenfield or brownfield projects and help consultants write design guides. Our team can also help you justify power quality and sustainability investments to your executives and get the most from your sustainability efforts.

This article has been adapted from a blog post written in partnership with Schneider Electric and Hexeis General Manager, Conrad van Rooyen, as part of their EcoXpert Partner Program. As an EcoXpert Partner, we are committed to digitising and electrifying our world for a more sustainable future. Click here to read the original article.