Sustainable living: Smart building solutions for a sustainable future

The built environment is undergoing a rapid evolution. ABB Review met with Dirk John, innovation manager and expert at ABB Smart Buildings to discuss the role ABB is playing to incorporate new forms of construction and innovative intelligent technologies to make homes and buildings not just smarter, but safer, more comfortable and sustainable.

Subscribe to ABB innovation and technology news

_{Dirk John Innovation Manager for Strategy and Portfolio Management for ABB Electrification Smart Buildings in Heidelberg, Germany  
After finishing his PhD at University of Karlsruhe, Dirk began his career at ABB in research; he then joined the ABB Smart Buildings as Global ­Product Manager, working closely with the ABB Ability™ team. He is ­currently responsibile for “open ­innovation”, mainly driving ­coopera­- tion with startups, ranging from partnering up to investments.} 

ABB Review (AR): Dirk, it seems that every industry has joined in to reduce CO₂ emissions on the road to net zero. How can smart buildings help?  

Dirk John (DJ): Currently, buildings account for around 40 percent of global CO₂ emissions, annually with about 70 percent of that derived from building operations. This is massive. If we, at ABB, can significantly reduce that greenhouse gas contribution by developing intelligent building solutions to manage energy and assist people in their efforts to optimize, we will contribute toward carbon neutrality – a core focus at ABB.  

AR What possibilities exist to help people interact with their homes and workplaces in a safer smarter and more sustainable way to address this focus?  

DJ The increase in connectivity, and advances in the Internet of Things (IoT), have led to a growth in smart technology and automation. This has ushered in a new way of living and working which necessitates a human-centric design and construction approach [1]. This new demand for convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and product sustainability at home and in the office is driving the demand for more intelligent houses and buildings. Because at ABB we aim to help people live better lives whether at home or work by improving well-being, energy efficiency and cost transparency, it makes sense for us to focus on the human-centric design of smart houses and buildings to create holistic solutions that include greenhouse gas reduction.  

AR So, could you provide us with an example of technology that supports the human-centric design principle?  

DJ Absolutely. ABB’s well-established yet first-of-its-kind, i-bus® KNX product range is a good example of technology available for all types of buildings →01; it includes components that cover many applications that make peoples’ lives more convenient, comfortable, energy efficient and sustainable. Products range from lighting and blind control to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), security, and energy management [2]. Because all devices communicate with one another via a single bus cable installed alongside normal power lines, all electrical functions are interconnected – a boon for building control and human interaction.  

AR What about industrial or commercial buildings specifically, how does ABB help these customers?  

DJ ABB is not only zeroing in on comfort and convenience for the building occupants, we are also focusing on lowering the building’s energy consumption. This will not only help to address carbon-neutral ambitions, it is especially important in today’s uncertain energy market. If we consider the dramatic increase in utility prices this past year and future possible trends, it is important for customers to have the best possible control of their HVAC systems, and lighting, since heating and air conditioning alone can account for 20-40 percent of a commercial building’s energy costs. ABB acquired Cylon® to support our product range on the building-side, specifically for the effective management of HVAC and lighting. ABB’s Cylon® products are scalable and serve a spectrum of connected building energy management solutions for automation and energy control of any size commercial or industrial building [3]. Customers can even prevent up to 20 percent of a building’s energy drift annually through continuous monitoring and management of building energy usage →02.  

AR Since there is clearly much need as well as predicted growth in the commercial building sector [1], why does ABB focus on smart homes in addition to buildings?  

DJ Let’s face it most everyone has a residence of some kind, be it a studio flat or a villa. Our aim is to develop the connective and automation technologies to assist people in their daily lives no matter how and where they reside. What better way is there to do this then by improving design, comfort, security and energy efficiency of home appliances, lighting, blinds, air conditioning and heating and door automation. In this way, the building assists the resident.  

AR What role does convenience and assistance play in ABB’s approach to smart homes?  

DJ Enhancing total ease of ownership is paramount – IoT elements need to be easy to install, use, understand, and maintain, all in a sustainable way if customers are to benefit. For instance, both interconnectivity and automation allow users to remotely manage and monitor thermostats, indoor and outdoor lighting, surveillance camera footage, and program blinds with ease.  

AR Could you provide our readers with an ABB home product example?  

DJ ABB-free@home® for lighting, blinds, HVAC, and door automation control is a good example of an all-in-one smart home product designed for convenience in addition to comfort, and energy efficiency [4]. It is truly a residential assistant. Control is intuitive, by switch or voice, via tablet, PC or Smartphone, and it can be easily set according to individual personal preferences. Functions can also be managed automatically, according to schedule, temperature and the presence of people, or by the touch of a screen. A very important aspect is the low cost of ownership compared to other electrical installations – this makes it particularly attractive.  

AR What about system security and product sustainability?  

DJ ABB’s unique app uses conventional and therefore sustainable operating systems, iOS and Android. After all no one wants to invest in a system that must be replaced in two years. System flexibility and simplicity of design help to ensure ABB-free@home® as a future-proof assistant. It relies on wired or wireless sensors, actuators and sensor-actuator units. And, to lower the security risk, there are a multitude of up-to-date measures for protection, yet configuration and operation are as easy as surfing the internet. It also connects to ABB’s MyBuildings Portal which is powered by ABB Ability™ platform for support and is open for partnerships, like we are doing with Samsung and others.  

AR In addition to developing and launching such smart products, how is ABB promoting innovation in this field?  

DJ One important way is through collaboration. Each year since 2020, ABB has initiated “The ABB Electrification Challenge” for entrepreneurial startups [5]. There are different categories, with Smart Buildings, my focus area, forming one of this year’s four challenges. Because the demand for more connectivity is growing in all areas of our lives, we think it is important to work with others to advance human-building interaction for customers. The challenge gives us the opportunity to further relationships, through networking, with creative thinkers to foster new ideas – even those we might never otherwise consider.  

AR What about the motivation for a startup?  

DJ Clearly a challenge must be beneficial for all parties involved: The winner receives a prize of 30,000 USD, the ability to work with us toward a market entry such as developing a pilot case, interaction with ABB customers, and sessions with Microsoft mentors as well as a 6 month membership in ABB’s startup accelerator, Synerleap, which has created more than 200 collaborations, together with 160 startup members from 24 countries. When everything is taken into account, all winners gain success in the market. Even those who don’t win, gain valuable feedback from the coaches and jury members and establish bonds, which can help them in the future.  

AR Can you give an example of a successful candidate from a previous year?  

DJ Indeed. Mavenoid, a startup located in Sweden, won the first challenge with an exciting business idea. By taking advantage of the feedback and support provided by ABB and its partners, Mavenoid has turned into the ultimate success story. They utilized all the opportunities provided by the Electrification Startup Challenge and have developed a growing business. Today the company provides a scalable support platform for hardware companies [6]. For example, the support platform helps customers onboard, to use, and troubleshoot products. Mavenoid guides users to fix product issues themselves, instead of just deflecting to generic articles or FAQs by combining existing content, input from a support team, and AI. In response to their success, last year ABB Smart Buildings decided to invest into Mavenoid by joining their recent funding round.  

AR Could you explain to our readers the challenge and the candidate selection process.  

DJ Certainly, the description of the challenge is released through all the normal media channels with an invitation to apply. A PowerPoint application template is available for download. Once startups submit their applications, the applications are evaluated until the closing date (Feb. 21, for this year). After an initial filtering session, a team evaluates the most promising candidates. These are chosen for a ten day-long virtual challenge; support is provided from ABB’s global smart building experts. The best three candidates will be invited to the final event in Berlin where one startup will win the challenge →03. All participants receive feedback from experts because we want each to benefit from the experience, even to reapply later if they don’t win in a given year.  

AR This year’s challenge targeted smart functions, such as smart wiring accessories, to assist the user wherever he or she is located. Can you expand on this?  

DJ Yes, we decided to focus on the residential application field this year. It is a rather broad field ranging from devices that lower energy consumption needed to power conveniences in a home, such as energy harvesting; through AI and machine learning solutions based on user and room information to control a room; to solutions that combine and integrate different domains with limited user interactions and those that connect with ABB’s MyBuildings Portal.  

AR Why did ABB decide to issue a challenge with such a broad topic area?  

DJ I can imagine that might seem counter-intuitive. Practically, by targeting such topics we focus on domains that fit well within our product portfolio and are in line with our overall aim to assist people to interact comfortably and conveniently in their residences to achieve greater energy efficiency, security and safety.  

Also, from experience, we know that it is important to be expansive in our challenge descriptions. If the challenge is too narrowly defined, we might possibly eliminate candidates who have wickedly creative ideas – ideas that might not have occurred to us. After all, innovation demands freedom to unfold. We also have to consider that our challenge description could be interpreted differently than we have intended by some good candidates.  

AR Can you give us an example?  

DJ This year we received, once again, very interesting applications that did not fit in our framework, eg, the definition of a residence. However, some of these applications fit the criteria for other ABB units, in our division, or elsewhere, so we were able to forward the applications to these ABB teams for consideration.  

AR It sounds like a positive and dynamic experience for all involved, but of course there can only be one winner. Has ABB announced a winner for 2023 yet?  

DJ Indeed, it has been a valuable experience, all-around, to work with so many innovative startups. One startup however stood out this year. Epishine was announced as the winner of the 2023 ABB Electrification Startup Challenge in the smart building category at the ABB Formula E race event in Berlin. Epishine fits our challenge criteria perfectly. This Swedish company, founded in 2016, develops self-powered sustainable indoor solar cells that power electronics using light. The thin and flexible design, allows the solar cells to be easily integrated into IoT devices to achieve high-level performance and reliability. We, at ABB, are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Epishine this year. And, we will certainly keep in contact with all of our excellent contenders and finalists.  

AR Thank you Dirk for the interview.         

_{References  
[1] M. Chiu et al., “IoT value is set to grow through 2030: Where and how to capture it”, McKinsey Website, 2021, Available: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/iot-value-set-to-accelerate-through-2030-where-and-how-to-capture-it [Accessed June 11, 2023.]  
[2] ABB Website, “ABB i-bus® KNX”, Available: https://new.abb.com/low-voltage/products/building-automation/product-range/abb-i-bus-knx    
[3] ABB Website, “ABB Cylon® Smart Building Solutions”, Available: https://new.abb.com/low-voltage/products/building-automation/product-range/abb-cylon [Accessed June 11, 2023.]  
[4] ABB Website, “ABB-free@home”, Available: https://new.abb.com/low-voltage/products/building-automation/product-range/abb-freeathome [Accessed June 11, 2023.]  
[5] ABB Website, “ABB Electrification Startup Challenge 2023 Smart Buildings”, Available: https://campaign.abb.com/ABBElectrificationStartUpChallenge2023/smart-buildings [Accessed June 11, 2023.]  
[6] Marvenoid Website, “The Product Support Platform”, Available: https://www.mavenoid.com/en/ [Accessed June 11, 2023.]}  

Explore ABB Review