India’s Green Building Revolution Needs AI Integration for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

As India is introducing two new codes for sustainable buildings–the ECSBC for commercial real estate and ENS for residential properties–experts suggest that adding AI tools can improve energy efficiency by up to 30%.

It was recently announced that India is starting a Green Building Revolution by implementing two new building codes set out to affect commercial and residential properties. The commercial buildings industry alone is responsible for 37% of carbon emissions globally. However, experts from Exergio, a company that develops AI tools for energy efficiency, note that the new regulations have one drawback–artificial intelligence (AI) tools are absent from both of them.

“Intelligent building management systems need to process large amounts of data and AI is very useful here. We believe that India can take a lead in the region, and our experience in Europe has shown that AI solutions are more affordable for businesses and property owners. It’s not too late to rework these codes by including AI as a suggestion. This technology is not going anywhere and should be used wherever big data is generated,” said Donatas Karčiauskas, CEO of Exergio.

The Indian commercial real estate industry is a vastly growing field expected to reach $106B by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 21.10% between 2024-2029. The commercial building sector yields the highest growth rate in the country, with over half of the buildings projected to exist by 2030 yet to be developed, making moderation of energy consumption a priority.

The Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code (ECSBC), targeted at these commercial buildings, is predicted to lower operating costs and boost profitability. The new code encourages businesses to integrate sources of renewable energy, as well as use energy-efficient materials and smart tech to lower carbon emissions. The codes also highlight the environmental quality of the buildings and people’s health and well-being.

“We have applied AI-powered tools to enhance the quality of occupant’s life at commercial buildings. For example, machine learning algorithms can analyze the data and predict when the occupancy of the shopping mall is going to rise, adjusting cooling or heating, ensuring that it is overseen 24/7,” said Donatas Karčiauskas. “Aside from that, studies have already shown that AI tools can reduce up to 30% of energy waste. European countries, as well as the Middle East, are already adopting these tools, raising efficiency and quality. India could benefit from AI-based energy solutions largely.”

One of the Exergio’s use cases in a large office building complex in Poznan, Poland helped save around €80,000 and reduced waste by 20%. By employing measurements to identify errors in heating, cooling, and AC operations, including simultaneous heating and cooling, the platform identified energy waste and fixed it on the spot through continuous 24/7 monitoring.

“By launching this green building revolution India proved to have a lot of potential. The new codes are promising and could reduce a large amount of waste contributing to a green and sustainable future”, Karčiauskas said. “The effectiveness of these new policies can be highly boosted by adopting innovative AI-based solutions into the process, and we believe the revisited versions should include that.”

For more information visit Exergio