Among the topics that were discussed at the Decoding Decarbonization conference, which took place over the course of two days and ended on Thursday, was the application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) in the built environment settings.
In the course of the event, Rupesh Umtol, co-founder and Director of Electro-Mech Consultants, presented a digital twin model creation concept known as Btrlyf. This concept is the culmination of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and it analyzes older buildings with regard to energy efficiency.
According to him, the transformation of existing buildings to net zero energy consumption is being accomplished with varied degrees of success through the use of retrofitting, energy sourcing and efficiency, and tenant participation. The software allows for the creation of a model that incorporates a multiphysics dynamic simulation, which is then combined with statistical information regarding the weather. Following the calibration of the data to determine the energy efficiency of the buildings and the suggestion of strategies to increase it, which are specific to each building, the simulations were carried out.
“The most recent buildings are unquestionably designed with the goal of achieving net zero emissions and maximizing energy efficiency. On the other hand, more than eighty percent of the older buildings are not design or operated effectively. “There is a target that by the year 2050, all buildings need to be net zero for throughout their entire lifecycle,” Umtol stated. This target applies to buildings that are already in existence. According to him, “Every building is unique, and because of the complexity of their structures, every single one of them consumes energy in a different way.”
According to statements made by Umtol to The Indian Express, the firm was created in 2017 with the assistance of his Singaporean co-founder and technological partners who assisted them with the analysis of the data. At this time, cities in India are also being mapped. It is not the full city; rather, it is only a portion of the city. This is going to take some time. Nevertheless, it has already been completed in other worldwide cities, such as those in Europe and Australia, he stated.
Umtol stated that structures are fundamentally the same, and if they were to obtain information on the amount of land, other fundamental details, and weather data, they would be able to forecast the amount of energy that a particular building consumes through the use of machine learning and simulation of the building through a three-dimensional medium using systems that have been well calibrated. We did not make the system more complicated by requesting an excessive number of inputs. According to Umtol, “We just need a few things, and you have your report in half an hour.” He emphasized the fact that manual surveys take approximately months to complete, whereas they could do it to near perfect accuracy if the data sets are accurate. This would eliminate the barriers to data access and the duplication of efforts for everyone.
It was emphasized by Dr. Nidhi Arora, Director and co-founder of artificial intelligence at Advic Tech, that AI has the potential to lead the world towards decarbonization. She brought attention to four essential issues that were brought about by the failure of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. These issues were energy waste, an uncomfortable interior climate, poor air quality, and excessive maintenance costs.
In order to address these issues, she proposed the utilization of artificial intelligence, which has the potential to reduce expenses, make the process more streamlined, generate insights, and improve overall efficiency. The Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) was the organization that was responsible for organizing the event.
