Digital building renovation reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions

Tech group Schneider Electric has published a new study on the decarbonisation of buildings. It documents in detail the high effectiveness of digital technologies in terms of climate protection and economic efficiency. Up to 70 percent of CO₂ emissions in office buildings can be saved with the help of a digital-first approach, according to the study. Schneider Electric itself is one of the global market leaders in energy management and has equipped more than one million buildings worldwide with its sustainable technologies.

Using low-threshold solutions to realise great savings potential in buildings

Buildings account for an estimated 37 percent of global CO₂ emissions, and 30 percent in Germany. Since about half of these buildings will still be in use in 2050, the high emission levels of existing buildings must be urgently reduced in order to achieve the climate targets. The first step is to retrofit buildings with digital measurement and control technology for electrical building functions such as lighting, heating, air conditioning, shading or security. This is technically uncomplicated and quick to implement, and hardly burdens ongoing use.

A digital retrofit of measurement and control functions in buildings already brings significant CO₂ savings. This is according to the experts from the globally active planning office WSP, which conducted the study "The Path to Net-Zero-Buildings" on behalf of Schneider Electric. By switching to digital technologies, operators and owners keep energy costs under control, meet legal standards and preserve the value of their properties.

The study shows that digital building and energy management solutions alone can reduce CO₂ emissions in office buildings by up to 42 percent. If fossil fuel heating technologies are replaced with electrically powered alternatives and the building is part of a microgrid that includes renewable energy sources, fully electric, fully digital buildings can reduce operational carbon emissions by a further 28 per cent, giving an overall reduction of up to 70 per cent.