The integration of sensors, intelligent systems, and building automation in Brazilian buildings has the potential to save 87 TWh per year, equivalent to 14% of all electricity consumed in the country. This information is contained in the study "Green & Smart Buildings in Brazil," which details the national scenario and the impact of automation.
The study was launched on Tuesday (3), during CEFX (Congress Buildings of the Future and Expo), held at IEE-USP (Institute of Energy and Environment of the University of São Paulo).
It is estimated that the adoption of energy efficiency technologies could prevent investments of around US$44 billion in the electricity sector, by reducing the need for generation.
Despite the estimated cost of US$424 billion by 2050 to transform Brazilian buildings into green and smart buildings, the financial return could occur in just 2 to 5 years, according to the organizers.
"According to IBGE, the country currently has close to 107 million buildings, which account for 47% of electricity consumption," stated Juliana Ulian, CEO of GHM Solutions, the event organizer.
"In this post-COP30 moment, in which the decarbonization of economies is being discussed, if we only automated buildings and adopted building management systems, among other mechanisms of..." energy efficiency"It would be possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40%," he added.
According to Victor Moura, a specialist at GHM, the potential savings from building automation alone are equivalent to 16,5 GW of avoided installed capacity per year, which would correspond to 1,2 times the generation of the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, in addition to a reduction of 4,7 million tons of CO₂. "This also represents 4,7 million tons of CO₂ avoided, taking into account conservative assumptions in these calculations," he emphasized.
Energy efficiency: what is it, advantages and how to apply it?
Integration of technologies and active intelligence.
During the congress, Professor Ildo Luiz Sauer, vice-director of the Institute of Energy and Environment, drew attention to the magnitude of the global energy challenge. According to him, global energy consumption already exceeds 620 exajoules, equivalent to 620 quintillion joules.
“More than ever, with the recognition of the climate crises, we are returning to the issue of energy management. We need to return to basic science and a sustainable economic system,” he argued.
The answer, according to José Roberto Muratori of the Automation Institute/Efficient Building, lies in the need to integrate various technologies to achieve maximum efficiency.
Among them are corporate management systems, with digital twins, dashboards, alarms and analytics for system supervision, programmable controls for lighting and air conditioning, as well as sensors.
“Building automation, however, is not something static,” he warned: “it is necessary to review the systems daily, based on data, without guesswork, monitoring the real performance of the equipment.”
According to the consultant and designer of residential and building automation, passive automation is not enough for buildings. "It must be active, capable of making decisions automatically, with intelligence," concludes Muratori.
Practical cases and proven results.
The results of building automation and energy efficiency can be measured in practice. Luciano Rosito, general director of BEGBrail, highlighted that it is already possible to achieve energy savings of up to 70% with a data infrastructure without compromising the comfort level of building environments.
He presented a case study of a logistics warehouse with DALI technology, based on sensors installed 16 meters high, in a system of 560 light fixtures, resulting in a 58% energy saving.
However, for Marcos Martins Poli, executive director of Abilux (Brazilian Lighting Industry Association), energy-efficient products alone are not enough to solve the energy challenge. He believes it is important to maximize the energy resources available in buildings.
Along the same lines, Adriano Cotrim Pita, from the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of São Paulo, reinforces: "there is no intelligent building without intelligent design, and this means a building that takes into account the environment and its use."
According to Lucia Abadia, advisor to the Women in Energy Association, there is an important aspect to consider for those investing in buildings: “The mortgage payments eventually end. But the maintenance costs are permanent. We need to evolve in our awareness of sustainability, with energy savings over time,” concluded Lucia.
To download the Green & Smart Buildings study in Brazil, click here.
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