Making Europe climate-neutral with autonomous buildings

Every building needs a roadmap to 2050 to make Europe climate-neutral. This requires significant investments and a considerable amount of workforce and determination. But what if we start by looking at what already exists and how we can make that sustainable: what part of the problem can we solve with that?

By making buildings autonomous, which can be done with AI, we already solve 5 to 10 percent of the CO₂ issue – without making significant investments.

The real estate sector faces a shortage of technicians, which is no secret. All available hands are needed for more extensive sustainability challenges, such as renovations and the design and innovation of installations.

Funding for a fair energy transition in the European Union

The Just Transition Fund (JTF) contributes to a fair energy transition in the European Union. By investing in intelligent technologies and future-proof ideas, the fund supports initiatives that accelerate sustainability. 

The money is used for various purposes, including projects that create new employment, retrain workers, stimulate economic diversification, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Constant technical innovation is crucial 

To identify improvement opportunities, you need to know where you stand. In other words, you want insight into your consumption. That's where Healthy Workers comes in. And not just for that: we also optimize your buildings, achieving energy savings of up to 60 percent. However, constant technical innovation is crucial to run our systems perfectly, and for that, money is indispensable.

The catch is that machine learning is never a linear process. Invest a hundred hours of your time – and money – and you still have no idea what it will yield—a considerable risk. But that shouldn’t come at the cost of progress.

We must continue to focus on research and development to keep our product top-shelve. Artificial intelligence technology is advancing rapidly, making subsidies essential for further refinement of our systems. It is the only way we can achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.

How the JTF fund drives our innovation in building autonomy and building prediction

To make buildings across the Netherlands autonomous as quickly as possible, we use the JTF funds in various ways. 

Hiring the right bright minds

The budget allows us to hire the brightest minds, including top-performing university students. Since artificial intelligence and machine learning are relatively new fields, university talent can compete with industry experts. 

The first master's students who interned with us are now working full-time. This not only creates more employment but also ensures that Healthy Workers achieves its goals faster.

Developing a machine-learning model

Working with VU students, we are developing a machine-learning model that can predict the indoor climate of a building. Our first milestone? A design that can predict the climate for the next 24 hours. It's so accurate that we plan to publish it scientifically.

Grow, increase employment and contribute to greening the world

The technical market is changing rapidly, so naturally, different knowledge is needed than ten years ago. That's why we also retrain people to ensure job security for technicians – even in the next ten years. 

The JTF also helps us establish connections with organizations like Techport, a triple helix organization in the IJmond region. With this collaboration, we aim to become the first green industrial zone in the Netherlands. This way, we enable Healthy Workers to grow, increase employment, and contribute to greening the world.

Want to know how Healthy Workers can help you create sustainable, healthy and profitable smart buildings? Book a free demo and we’ll show you how it works. 
‍

–

In the AI in real estate blog series, we’ll take you along in the rapid developments of AI and machine learning in the coming period. We will explain how it is changing the real estate world forever, what our vision is, and tell you about our AI developments concerning autonomously managed buildings.