A study by the German consulting firm Roland Berger from 2016 called "Digitization in the construction industry", shows many important trends in construction, such as modular buildings, energy efficiency, virtual planning rooms, 3D printing, all of which rely on digital innovations for their implementation. Another trend that goes hand in hand with digital innovation is, you guessed it, an increased awareness of the importance of sustainability in construction. In fact, there are many certifications for sustainable construction, important ones being those issued by Breeam or the German Sustainable Building Council. Despite this, German real estate start-ups have difficulties in implementing sustainability in their daily practices, and 48% of respondents name difficulty in measuring this rather abstract concept as the biggest barrier to this.
So what digital tools are used to both implement and measure sustainability in so-called "Smart Buildings"? (buildings equipped with many automatized processes, often with devices and systems part of the Internet of Things) Focusing on efficient construction is incredibly relevant since once finished, buildings will be around much longer than say, cars or clothes. Additionally, buildings today account for 40% of global energy consumption.
A not-so-new innovation you may already be using are smart meters and sensors that help measure resource consumption and optimize use of energy and water. Sensors in new constructions are already regulating lights, air ventilation and heating based on the sun or human presence in the room. Building longevity and functionality are also improved by enabling sensors to predict malfunctions for instance in the heating system and immediately communicating this to the owner, even is he or she is hundreds or kilometres away, preventing very costly repairs once the system breaks completely. The Global e-Sustainability Initiative published a report with Accenture Strategy calculating that implementation of these digital innovations in buildings will amount to 5 billion Megawatts of energy savings and 260 billion litres in water savings, next to providing economic savings due to lower resource consumption and improved maintenance. In fact, smart building is one of the areas holding the greatest potential positive environmental effect, almost to the same extent as "smart agriculture".
Digital innovations not only make better buildings possible, but entire urban areas, as the work of the Leonhard Obermayer Center from the Technical University of Munich shows. Their tools help architects and urban planners not only to assess the level of energy efficiency, but also other factors like wind and daylight around some buildings or the view of sky and nature from the windows and outdoor areas. The last example I believe is worth mentioning is the Urban Strategy Playground, which includes tools working with augmented reality and virtual simulations. These are used to predict the effects of constructions making urban areas denser, as the need for accommodation in (German) cities increases every year.
All of these different digital tools thus enable everyone, from local urban planners over multinational construction companies to a single tenant of an apartment building, to plan, build and live in more resource efficient, and thus climate-friendly buildings.