AI, big data to be used increasingly for energy savings in commercial buildings

Artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning will increasingly be put to use monitoring the energy performance of buildings and helping owners cut costs, according to Keith Gunaratne, the founder and managing director of technology firm EP&T. Founded in 1993, EP&T specialises in the development of energy conservation technologies in the commercial sector. One of its products, Edge Zeus - an AI and machine-learning platform that allows energy performance to be monitored and controlled through a mobile device – has been deployed in 12 buildings in the portfolio of the Abu Dhabi Financial Group, or ADFG. In one of the buildings – Abu Dhabi's Seaside Tower – the technology has led to a 29 percent reduction in energy consumption and cost savings of over AED 626,000 in a 12-month period. "What we would like to see in the local market is an accommodative environment that fosters the take-up of data science as a solution that remains attractive to the c-suite," Gunaratne said.