An Introduction to Smart Buildings and Their Impact on Energy

mohammad dehghani¹ rezvaneh eskati² yasaman sargazi³

1) PhD Student in Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan Branch, Zahedan, Iran
2) Undergraduate Student of Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan Branch, Zahedan, Iran
3) Bachelor’s Student in Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan Branch, Zahedan, Iran

IOI Code : ABKD-ACAAGF
Publication : Fourth International Conference on applied researches in civil engineering, architecture and urban planning (icarcau.com)
Abstract :
    The unprecedented growth of urban populations in the coming decades will confront cities with unparalleled challenges in ensuring sustainable energy supply, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving citizens quality of life. In this context, buildings, as one of the most energy-intensive urban sectors, play a pivotal role in achieving energy sustainability goals. However, progress in the field of smart buildings faces two fundamental obstacles: first, the lack of clarity in definitions and the distinction between concepts such as smart building and intelligent building, which has led to confusion in the design, implementation, and evaluation of these systems; and second, the technical challenges associated with managing the massive volume of sensor data, ensuring interoperability among various information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructures, and integrating these technologies with existing building equipment.This combined article, drawing upon two foundational studies in this domain, presents a comprehensive framework for the design and implementation of user-centric smart buildings, in which three key components are integrally addressed: (1) an Internet of Things (IoT)-based architecture capable of real-time collection, processing, and analysis of environmental and behavioral data; (2) a user-centric approach that regards occupants not merely as recipients of services, but as active agents in building energy and comfort management, enabling bidirectional human-building interaction through indoor positioning systems (combining RFID and infrared technologies) and personalized comfort profiles; and (3) adaptability as the core essence of a smart building, distinguishing it from purely reactive approaches and allowing the building to prepare itself for future events by leveraging historical and predictive data.Findings from the deployment of this system in a real building demonstrate that the proposed integrated approach, while ensuring a high level of occupant satisfaction through personalized comfort services, is capable of achieving significant energy savings of approximately 20% in heating consumption at the building level, which, at an urban scale, could lead to an 8% reduction in overall building energy consumption across a European city. This achievement represents an effective step toward the realization of energy-sustainable smart cities and outlines a clear pathway for future research in optimizing energy management systems, developing advanced predictive algorithms, and expanding the implementation of this approach on a broader urban scale.

Keywords : smart building sustainable smart city energy efficiency internet of things building energy management user centricity adaptability