Electric.ie January/February 2022

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 27 Schneider Electric similar efficiency benefits. In Ireland, effective retrofitting will be our only means to hit net zero by 2050. Becoming wiser to consume better While all energy performance retrofits should be welcomed, we cannot hope to meet targets without an understanding of individual challenges – greater insight will be fundamental. We know that the most effective strategy is not based solely on consumers to actively limit their energy consumption. It’s one where we give them a holistic understanding of the energy they are using and provide an equally convenient and cost- effective solution. The role of technology in our homes should be to contextualise and analyse our energy efficiency efforts to come up with a target goal that is achievable and healthy for us. Intelligent systems – like smart heating and maintenance systems – provide access to more useful building data and reporting. This, in turn, helps building owners and managers identify efficiencies that could reduce carbon emissions and costs. Indeed, by tracking resources – such as water and energy usage – through IoT-capable smart sensors, properties and homeowners can streamline and improve building management and efficiency. What’s more, homes retrofitted with smart sensors and systems open the door to on-site renewable energy generation sources such as solar. The intermittency of these resources have historically been a barrier to domestic generation, but the latest building and storage systems make it far more manageable. They enable consumers to become ‘prosumers’, where they can produce and sell energy generated on their property. This capability has already become an important selling point for prospective buyers, meaning that the construction and renovation industries in Ireland are increasingly exploring ways to add ‘green appeal’ to residential properties. In fact, the Irish Green Building Council has argued that at least 8.2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility to be received by Ireland should be allocated to energy renovation. Retrofitting will be key in enabling renewable technology to become cost- efficient and user friendly, further fuelling a green recovery. The fruits of sustainability Sustainability in buildings is no longer simply an environmental imperative. Decarbonising property is good for business. There are myriad operational advantages resulting in energy costs being reduced across a company’s building estate. A smart infrastructure is also able to detect faults and problems before they can actually snowball into an expensive crisis. This process of predictive maintenance extends the longevity of buildings and their systems, and it significantly reduces repair costs compared to preventative or responsive methods. There are other benefits to managing a sustainable property estate. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of building efficiency – from both environmental and cost perspectives. Expectations for renewable generation at home are only growing and will be a key requirement of retrofit projects in the future. Yet, what we are seeing is that despite most consumers owning a piece of smart technology, it isn’t revolutionising the way we live and how we save energy. In fact, it may potentially even be adding to our environmental footprint. A whole new world of insight We need technology that enables unprecedented visibility over energy habits at home and provides objectives that consumers can easily understand and adjust their energy usage to meet. The importance of integration solutions, which connect and analyse data from a wide variety of smart products in the home, can’t be overstated. The goal of net zero homes will be achieved, but only in regular achievable steps rather than ambitious moon shots that don’t come to fruition. Once our homes have become truly intelligent, a realistic path to net zero will be revealed. Retrofitting requires an upfront investment, but it’s one that quickly pays for itself in terms of saved costs, efficiency, security and property value. What’s more, it can be far more cost-effective than the alternative of ripping out and replacing existent systems. The addition of complementary, smart sensors and systems gives property owners and managers access to a whole new world of data. By truly understanding how a building functions on a data- level, you can transform a house into a power home.