Digital Twins Advancements can help Improve Facility Operations

Digital Twins Advancements can help Improve Facility Operations

  Approach can revolutionize the way facility managers can evaluate building performance. Buildings account for 40 percent of the world’s energy consumption, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 30 percent of the energy consumed within a building is wasted through inefficiency. There has been an iterative approach to how various agencies have been trying…

First and second order effects of artificial intelligence on the A&E industry

First and second order effects of artificial intelligence on the A&E industry

  A&E Insights: AI-powered digital twins are being used as models of a building before its construction has even begun in order to quickly evaluate how certain changes may affect cost, environmental performance, or any other aspect. The use of AI for predictive maintenance is projected to result in a 40% decrease in costs. OpenAI—the…

NYC Firehouses Install ‘Resilient’ Solar Projects to Protect Against Blackouts

NYC Firehouses Install ‘Resilient’ Solar Projects to Protect Against Blackouts

City officials have announced completion of a $2.4 million project to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems atop six New York City Fire Department (FDNY) firehouses in Queens and Brooklyn. In addition to generating emissions-free energy, these systems will use battery storage to ensure that the firehouses remain operational during blackouts, brownouts, or storms if electric…

The age of adoption: Bold actions for a net-zero future

The age of adoption: Bold actions for a net-zero future

  Although I am unsure of the exact year, I remember attending a renewable energy conference in the mid-2000s. It had the feel of a millennialist religious movement, complete with prophecies of a messianic world. It wasn’t the promise of wolves and lambs living in harmony that spellbound the attendees, but a prophetic vision of…

How regenerative design is driving AEC industry innovation

How regenerative design is driving AEC industry innovation

Regenerative design examines how buildings and products can be designed to minimize their environmental impact and improve the health of ecosystems. It is the next step in sustainability and was the topic of a recent LinkedIn Live with Sean Quinn, HOK’s director of Regenerative Design, and Microsoft’s JoAnn Garbin, director of Innovation within CO+I Advanced…

OT Cybersecurity to Intensify in 2023

OT Cybersecurity to Intensify in 2023

Securing legacy assets and worker training lead efforts to protect the manufacturing environment. As smart manufacturing technologies are increasingly implemented and begin to mature, new and increased cybersecurity challenges have emerged beyond device-level IT risks. Termed “operational technology” or OT cybersecurity, this field refers to the security and safety of industrial environments, and it is…