On May 4, 2015, Marc Thuillard, Head of Research Belimo was a panelist for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) workshop: High-Density Urban Environments and Buildings of the Future. The objective of this workshop was to develop a vision for future buildings based on the collective views of thought leaders. They explored technologies that could revolutionize the built environment across energy, water, environment, resilient design, health, security, and productivity.
Marc stated, “We live in exciting times.” With the current evolution of electronics, a small microprocessor integrated into an actuator has the capability that only previously was available in a computer. He stated that currently, lifelong stability of building controls is difficult to achieve. In the future building, systems will be self-learning and more demand control-oriented. There will be more virtual sensors, such as information from wearable devices and smartphones, which will provide information through the internet of things to dynamically control systems. He stated systems will also be self-healing and make adjustments when there are temporary or permanent changes, in order to operate at peak efficiency. He reminded us clean air is a resource we must be vigilant to maintain. That rapid expansion in parts of the world is resulting in bad air quality.
The Buildings of the Future Scoping Study will develop a vision for what U.S. mainstream commercial and residential buildings could become in 100 years. To learn more download the Building of the Future Discussion Guide.
Marc Thuillard is Head of Research for Belimo a manufacturer of energy efficient products such as Energy Valve and the ZIP Economizer. Belimo is a world leader in the design and manufacture of damper actuators and control valves used in commercial HVAC systems. Known for its direct-coupled actuator and innovations in pressure independent control valve technology, Belimo has solutions to maintain an efficient building environment. For 40 years, Belimo has provided innovations in Comfort, Energy Efficiency and Safety Solutions to customers throughout the world.