MEP KELLY VISITS JCI OPENBLUE INNOVATION CENTER IN CORK
Yesterday, Irish MEP Sean Kelly (EPP), Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), visited Johnson Controls’ OpenBlue Innovation Center in Cork to observe the benefits of connected devices, building automation and controls first-hand. The ITRE Committee is spearheading the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), a critical driver for Europe’s decarbonisation strategy outlined in the FitFor55 package. During his tour of the facility, Johnson Controls, a member of eu.bac, demonstrated how the Innovation Centre’s technical building systems are remotely managed and presented how digital efforts transform the traditional reactive Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS) service business into a proactive and prescriptive one that helps to achieve sustainability goals.
Fitted with the most advanced Johnson Controls building technology solutions, the OpenBlue Innovation Center showcases the company’s latest and most innovative solutions in a live environment. Research and development at the OpenBlue Innovation Center focuses on the global priority to reduce carbon emissions in the building sector, which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global annual CO2 emissions, making it a key focus area in the pursuit of a net zero world.
At the Cork facility, visitors can see first-hand exactly how a smart sustainable building operates and how digital efforts are combined with expert advice and the power of machine learning technologies. Experts remotely observe, assess, analyse, advise and equip traditional field service with the right solutions to increase uptime, extend assets’ lifetimes and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Sean Kelly was impressed to see the possibilities that currently available technologies can deliver and how digitalization and Digital Twin solutions allow us to compare design efficiencies with real-life conditions 24/7 and maintain high efficiency of HVAC equipment throughout the whole life of the operation. A chiller, for example, has more than 100 components that can impact efficiency. With real-time identification and a proactive approach to address all common component performance issues that may affect energy performance, energy savings may be increased to a maximum. Data-proven optimization and modernization proposals with a payback of less than a year are frequent outputs of the analysis. Moreover, digital solutions not only drive the decarbonization and efficiency of chillers and heat pumps but also enhance indoor environmental air quality and, therefore, occupant health, comfort and productivity.
“We are pleased to welcome Sean Kelly, representatives of European Parliament and the eu.bac to our state-of-the-art facility in Cork – one of the first in Johnson Controls’ growing international network of OpenBlue Innovation Centers around the world that demonstrate how integrated building systems deliver a seamless and unified building management experience,” said Tomas Brannemo, EMEALA president of Johnson Controls. “Our advanced technologies, and the real-time connection of these systems through the OpenBlue Cloud can deliver increased efficiency, reduce costs, and bring customers closer to reaching their net zero goals. These are among the most critical objectives for many businesses today.”
“We would like to thank MEP Kelly for the outstanding work carried out as shadow rapporteur and hope this visit further helped him Kelly to fully understand the potential of these cost-effective solutions as we gear up for the trialogues on the EPBD with the Council and the Commission in the following months. eu.bac will continue to offer its expertise and best practices to the policymakers, authorities and building owners to support the EU in meeting its ambitious goals.” added Simone Alessandri, managing director of eu.bac.
More BACS retrofit case studies can be found here.
The eu.bac suggestions for EPBD to achieve Europe’s decarbonisation goals can be found here.