Sustainability is a hot topic in construction design these days. The industry consensus is that installing eco-friendly systems is a benefit to the environment and the budget. Nearly all project owners want (or are required) to “be green.” But while this is an admirable goal, it turns out that actualizing a sustainable structure during the design phase is far from easy.
The hierarchical pressure to design a sustainable building can be overwhelming. Increased regulatory standards pressure project owners, project owners pressure general contractors, general contractors pressure on-site personnel. Ultimately, the expectation for sustainability comes down on you, the designer, and you are left with the unenviable task of handling the logistics of green MEP systems.
Lucky for you, thanks to advancements in design technology, sustainability in MEP is a realistic, even profitable, option.
5 technologies driving MEP sustainability
Electricity generation is a major contributor to energy consumption therefore as an MEP designer, you can exert a great deal of control over the energy efficiency of a building and help reduce this bottom line.
Take, for example, these five leading MEP technologies that are making the trade more sustainable:
Air conditioners powered by AI: Backed by AI-learning technology, HVAC systems can make automatic, on-the-fly adjustments to increase energy efficiency and reduce waste. These systems leverage IoT data to predict impending weather conditions and adapt air conditioner settings accordingly. Certain high-end systems can even monitor human activity in a given room by measuring floor temperatures and, in turn, fine-tune AC and heating levels.