Smart Technology in Ireland’s Building Industry
The year 2020 is the mark for real change in the building industry in Ireland. Ensuring up to 40% of consumed energy comes from renewable energy sources is the ultimate goal. Currently, these goals are not being met when it comes to the expectations of the European Commission. Though there has been considerable progress so far, with nearly a quarter of all electricity produced coming from renewable energy such as solar, hydro, and wind in 2015, and Ireland was in the top five for countries creating new forms of electricity. But we need continued progress in overall energy efficiency, and we need to increase the use of renewables across all energy systems for real change to show.
Some countries are also making innovative strides to meet the sustainable needs for the future. In Amsterdam, for example, The Edge is a certified green office building that includes energy-efficient lighting and “flushes its toilets with rainwater, has a robot security guard that will challenge you if you wander around at night and a whole range of clever technology to make the building sustainable.” In 2014, it received the highest BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) rating with an impressive score of 98.36%.
In the industry of building and design, the push to go green requires more than simple changes to the internal workings of a structure; it also requires further ingenuity and the use of ‘smart’ technology in its everyday operation. With the use of modern software, and by creating a manageable interface that helps users control the environment within a building, from lighting to temperature, energy efficiency is even easier to achieve. Access to relevant data from sources directly related to the environment of a building can help improve living and working lives. Contact professional consulting engineers in Ireland. They can provide expert advice to ensure increase energy efficiency and smart technology in building projects from commercial to residential.
