Honeywell and Cisco use AI to smarten buildings

  • September 9, 2024
  • Steve Rogerson

Honeywell and Cisco are developing artificial intelligence (AI) that automatically adapts building systems based on fluctuating usage levels, reducing energy consumption and optimising the environment for worker productivity and comfort.

By combining Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings and Cisco Spaces, the joint effort uses AI and machine learning to help monitor assets to adjust HVAC systems based on real-time occupancy for a single building or an entire campus.

Cisco Spaces (spaces.cisco.com) collects occupancy and environmental data from Cisco network infrastructure, environmental sensors, collaboration devices and third-party IoT devices without the need to add additional hardware. Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings then uses this information to help improve energy efficiency and provide insights on building use. Together with Honeywell’s latest optimiser controller for buildings, this real-time occupancy data can help improve energy efficiency for greater resiliency.

Room temperatures, lighting and ventilation are autonomously adjusted based on where people are in the building and user selected controls. This helps automate daily building operations, optimise energy use and drive employee comfort while monitoring GHG emissions.

“Buildings have historically been a substantial contributor to overall carbon emissions, but with the rise of hybrid work, operators now have the opportunity to take a fresh look at addressing their environmental impact by moving their HVAC systems away from consistent nine-to-five schedules,” said Greg Turner, chief technology officer of Honeywell’s building automation division. “By tapping into a building’s existing technology infrastructure and harnessing the power of AI to fine-tune heating and cooling according to zone occupancy levels, our collaboration with Cisco empowers building owners to gain control of their environment and significantly curb emissions.”

The collaboration (www.cisco.com/go/honeywell) is part of Honeywell’s broader effort to help companies reduce their buildings’ environmental footprint and supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to megatrends, including automation and energy transition. It is also enabled by Cisco’s country digital acceleration programme, a global initiative that collaborates with government and private sector leaders to build sustainable, secure and inclusive communities powered by ethical and innovative technology.

“The convergence of IT and OT infrastructures, seamlessly interoperable with leading building management system platforms, ushers in an era of real-time data insights that can optimise energy usage, regardless of building age or retrofit status,” said Wes Sylvester, vice president at Cisco. “By working closely with Honeywell, we’re enabling building operators with enhanced visibility and control over operational data, setting a new standard for energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact.”

Harry Wilson, analyst at Verdantix (www.verdantix.com), added: “Energy management is firmly at the forefront of building owners’ minds. The continued presence of hybrid working policies and lower office utilisation, coupled with new asset-specific realities, has put owners under substantial financial and environmental pressure to ensure they are operating facilities efficiently and not wasting resources.”

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world.