Buildings account for around 40% of total energy consumption worldwide. A large proportion of this is attributable to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Traditional control systems often operate according to rigid schedules, regardless of whether a room is actually being used. This leads to unnecessary energy consumption and high operating costs. Modern, data-based control systems, on the other hand, analyze actual demand and dynamically adjust operation, performance, and consumption.
Proven efficiency gains through smart automation
An evaluation of 45 real smart building projects shows that intelligent building automation can save an average of 34% in energy – broken down into around 35% for lighting, 32% for air conditioning, and 30% for heating systems. These savings are achieved through the use of presence and daylight sensors, automatic control of flow temperatures, and demand-oriented ventilation concepts, among other things.
A systematic study also confirms the impact of modern automation solutions: IoT-based systems can reduce energy consumption by up to 30% while simultaneously lowering operating costs by 2%. The data comes from real-world projects and proves that digitalization and energy efficiency directly complement each other.
Technical core – from sensors to automation platform
Intelligent building automation is based on three key components:
- Sensors – detect environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, CO₂, movement, and light intensity.
- Fieldbus systems such as F‑Bus, BACnet, or Modbus ensure reliable communication between all devices in the building.
- Superior control – analyzes consumption patterns and adjusts operation in real time.
Gateways connect traditional fieldbuses to IoT or cloud platforms. Data is collected centrally in the cloud, analyzed, and optimized using AI algorithms. This results in a control concept that goes far beyond pure automation.
Cloud and AI-based automation – the next step toward maximum efficiency
Integrating building data into the cloud opens up completely new possibilities for efficiency and comfort. AI-supported models can use historical data, weather forecasts, or utilization patterns to identify how a building’s energy requirements are developing—and respond proactively.
Practical examples:
A key element of modern building automation is demand-based room control. The system automatically detects whether a room is in use or not. Areas that are not currently occupied are heated only minimally, while rooms with high traffic receive exactly as much heat or cooling as is actually needed. This saves energy where it is not needed—without compromising comfort in active zones.
Another example is the dynamic management of conference and meeting rooms. These rooms are only fully heated or ventilated when sensors or digital booking systems indicate imminent or ongoing use. Until then, the system operates in reduced energy-saving mode, avoiding unnecessary consumption that often occurs with fixed schedules.
Predictive control goes even further. Here, the system takes into account not only current measurements, but also weather forecasts, historical usage profiles, and expected peak loads. This allows the control system to react early, for example by automatically optimizing building heating before a cold snap or adjusting ventilation in good time when utilization increases. This significantly reduces energy consumption while ensuring a consistently high level of comfort.
In addition, automatic optimization in the cloud plays a major role. All building data is centrally bundled, analyzed, and continuously improved there. Changes in usage, new consumption patterns, or seasonal fluctuations are automatically detected and integrated into the control system without the operator having to intervene.
All these approaches together result in a holistic, cloud-based automation strategy that not only makes buildings more efficient, but also noticeably smarter and more responsive.
Conclusion – Efficiency with real impact
Overall, numerous studies and practical projects show that modern building automation offers enormous potential for efficiency. Intelligent control strategies can save 30 to 35 percent of energy in real-world applications—while simultaneously increasing comfort. If IoT and AI-based systems are also used, the savings improve further, as buildings can not only react but also actively think ahead. Predictive maintenance, automatic optimization, and demand-oriented control not only make operations more efficient, but also more reliable. As a result, investments in smart automation often pay for themselves after just a few years and create long-term benefits for both operators and users.
If you would like to learn more about how modern building automation relies on open communication standards, take a look at our detailed article on BACnet. In it, we explain why BACnet plays a central role in the networking of HVAC systems, sensors, and control technology in many buildings—and how the standard creates the basis for flexible, manufacturer-independent smart building solutions.
