International. Johnson Controls released the results of its 2018 Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey, which reveals that U.S. organizations plan to increase investments in smart building measures, including building controls and building system integration, to a broader level than more traditional energy efficiency measures.
The survey of nearly 2,000 facilities and energy management executives from 20 countries found that 57 percent of organizations in the United States and 59 percent of global organizations plan to increase investment in energy efficiency in the coming year.
Over the past decade, traditional energy efficiency measures, such as HVAC equipment upgrades and lighting improvements, have become a tabletop bet for many organizations. Today, organizations identify greenhouse gas footprint reduction, energy cost savings, energy security, and enhanced reputation as key investment drivers driving growth in green buildings. of zero net energy and resistant.
Smart buildings that drive future investments
Improvements in building controls were cited as the most popular investment over the next 12 months among U.S. organizations, with 68 percent of respondents planning to implement this measure. Construction system integration saw a 23 percent increase in respondents planning to invest in 2019 compared to 2018, the largest increase of any measure in the survey.
"Organizations are more interested than ever in leveraging energy efficiency, energy storage and distributed generation technologies to deliver smarter, safer and more sustainable buildings," said Clay Nesler, vice president of global sustainability at Johnson Controls. "U.S. organizations are especially optimistic about the future impact of systems interoperability, systems integration and cybersecurity technologies, leading all other countries."
Due to increasingly severe climate incidents around the world, the 2018 ISS results also highlight a growing global focus on resilience and energy security. One-third of U.S. and global organizations (32 percent and 33 percent respectively) believe the ability to maintain critical operations during severe weather events or prolonged power outages is extremely important when considering future investments in infrastructure and energy. About half of the U.S. and global organizations (54 percent and 50 percent, respectively) have a very high probability of having one or more facilities that can operate off-grid in the next ten years, a ten percent increase in the U.S. over last year. Globally, plans to invest in distributed power generation, electric power storage and on-site renewables also increased year-on-year.
2008 vs. 2018: Increased interest and investment in sustainable buildings
Analysis of the results of the annual survey from 2008 to 2018 revealed dramatic changes in energy efficiency targets, actions and investments over the past decade.
In 2008, very few respondents (8 percent) had certified green buildings and only a third (34 percent) planned to certify new construction projects to a recognized green standard. This year, 19 percent of U.S. organizations have already earned voluntary green building certification for at least one of their facilities, and 53 percent plan to do so in the future, a combined 31 percent increase over the past year alone. Globally, 14 percent of organizations have achieved voluntary green building certification for at least one of their facilities and 44 percent plan to do so in the future.
In 2008, less than a third of respondents (30 percent) believed that green buildings would be very important in attracting and retaining future employees, but in 2018, 44 percent of U.S. organizations and 51 percent globally are willing to pay a premium to lease space in a certified green building.
The survey also observed a significant year-over-year increase in net-zero energy targets, with 61 percent of U.S. organizations extremely or very likely to have one or more facilities that are near zero, net zero, or positive energy/carbon over the next ten years. 14 percent more than last year.
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