The world’s climate clock is ticking, and the built environment stands at a crossroads. Buildings account for nearly 30% of global energy-related carbon emissions, making them both a challenge and an opportunity in the race to stave off the irreversible effects of climate change. At the same time, a new era is dawning, one where artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a buzzword, but a powerful engine for change, transforming how professionals and buildings drive sustainability, efficiency, and innovation.
The Urgency: Why AI’s Role in Sustainability Matters Now
As cities swell and climate regulations tighten, the pressure on the commercial real estate sector has never been greater. Operational teams that have long relied on the traditional approaches like manual oversight, static schedules, and reactive maintenance struggle to keep up with the complexity and scale of today’s sustainability requirements. However, AI presents a true step-change by embedding real-time data, automation, and predictive intelligence into the heart of the industry, empowering professionals to act decisively and proactively.
From Analysis to Action: The AI Framework for Decarbonization and Operational Efficiency
To fully grasp AI’s impact, it is best to break it down into these key elements:
- Analysis: Made possible with large language models (LLMs), AI ingests and analyzes massive datasets—weather, occupancy, grid prices, and sensor data—spotting inefficiencies and predicting demand, in some cases with 96% accuracy.
- Optimization: Highly specialized algorithms dynamically adjust HVAC, lighting, and other systems, maximizing efficiency and comfort in real time.
- Action: Generative AI (genAI) agents and cloud-based dashboards democratize building intelligence, giving facilities managers and staff actionable insights and predictive alerts.
This framework is not theoretical. In fact, it is being deployed in real buildings of every kind, with measurable results today.
Real-World Impact: AI in Smart Buildings
According to OpenAsset, the smart buildings and infrastructure market was valued at US$13.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at over 21% annually, reflecting its surging adoption. Here are some noteworthy examples that are paving the way for the future growth in the sector:
The Edge – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Completed in 2014, this award-winning structure set a “new global standard for efficiency and sustainability” using AI to orchestrate lighting, climate, and energy use by analyzing data from thousands of sensors. The Edge adds a new meaning to the term “a great place to work” by enabling employees to personalize their workspace via a mobile app, while the building’s AI ensures energy is only used where and when needed. The result: In 2016, The Edge achieved BREEAM’s Outstanding certification with a record 98.36% score, slashing energy use by 70% compared to traditional offices.
45 Broadway – New York City
At 45 Broadway, BrainBox AI’s HVAC platform led to a 15.8% reduction in HVAC energy use, saving over $42,000 and significantly shrinking the building’s carbon footprint, in just 11 months. The system continuously analyzes weather, occupancy, and equipment data to fine-tune temperature settings without sacrificing occupant comfort, which can lead to savings of up to 25% in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by up to 40%.
Verdigris Technologies – Commercial & Industrial Efficiency
Verdigris Technologies, an AI-led energy management provider for data centers, deploys its AI-powered sensors on electrical panels, analyzing consumption patterns to spot inefficiencies and predict maintenance needs. Clients have reported double-digit energy savings and fewer equipment failures, showing how AI can unlock hidden value in both new and legacy buildings.
The Building Management System Renaissance
Legacy building management systems (BMS) have a reputation of being rigid and hardware-dependent, limiting adaptability. Conversely, the move toward cloud-native systems powered by AI-driven analytics and the integration of computer maintenance management systems (CMMS) platforms are at the heart of this inflection point in building management. These platforms have given rise to a major transformation, driven by rapid digitization, cloud adoption, and the integration of intelligent analytics and automation, fundamentally reshaping the framework of these systems.
For example, a cloud-based building management system allows for scalable, flexible building management accessible from anywhere, bridging the gap between on-premise and cloud-only management systems. Other CMMS solutions like Limble offer users a streamlined pathway to asset tracking, work order management and predictive maintenance. In short, this renaissance is creating more efficient and easier-to-manage buildings, ushering in a new era of intelligent connected systems.
Construction: Safer, Faster, Sustainable
AI is making its mark in construction, an industry notorious for cost overruns and inefficiency. By analyzing historical project data and real-time field reports, AI-driven platforms like Civils.ai and nPlan spot inefficiencies, predict delays, and flag safety hazards before they escalate. Looking further into the future, Promise Robotics is automating homebuilding using AI-powered robots, thereby lowering costs and accelerating production. Their new facility, located in Calgary, Canada, exemplifies how AI can directly address the housing and sustainability challenges that span major cities around the world.
Additionally, AI’s ripple effects extend beyond construction sites. By enabling smarter, more sustainable infrastructure, AI supports resilient cities, healthier communities, and expands the scope of the industry, creating new job opportunities that enable these highly skilled individuals to focus on higher-impact, creative, and strategic roles.
Human-AI Partnership and Societal Benefits: A Win-Win-Win!
Another nod to AI’s superpowers lies in how it augments professional expertise. For building professionals, AI-powered tools offer practical solutions that effectively untether them from the outdated systems that keep them in the constant cycle of alarm management and empower them to take on more meaningful projects. Not only is AI addressing these tasks, but it can also be used like a detective to find early signs of equipment degradation and suggest maintenance before failure occurs. AI solutions like Johnson Controls’ OpenBlue do just that by presenting building managers with critical information about their buildings’ operating systems at both the macro and micro levels, thereby prompting early repairs to avoid a complete system failure.
Moreover, genAI-powered platforms can equip facilities managers with always-on, expert guidance, turning complex data into clear, actionable insights. Another is Fluor Corp.’s use of AI to parse through the data of its mega projects in sectors like energy, chemicals, and mining for efficiency, cost savings, and to predict outcomes. From building maintenance to mega mining projects, AI demonstrates its flexibility as it frees professionals across a myriad of sectors to drive innovation and productivity while eliminating the mundane elements of their tasks.
Conclusion
The evidence is clear: AI is not just transforming how we manage buildings and projects. It is redefining what is possible in the quest for sustainability. For building owners, facilities managers, and engineers, the key takeaway is simple—embrace AI not as a replacement, but as a catalyst for a greener, future-ready built environment.
Jean-Simon Venne is president and founder of building solutions provider BrainBox AI.