Sensors and control systems are set to drastically change the HVAC landscape, according to Lux Research director, Dr Arij Van Berkel.
Presenting the keynote address at CCN Live 2016, Van Berkel outlined the latest innovations to newly built and retrofitted green buildings.
He said integrated control systems for light, heat and cold are being introduced to measure everything from indoor air quality (IAQ) to energy use.
"By modern control systems we refer to systems that use learning algorithms to predict building behaviour and adjust the heating or cooling strategy accordingly,"he said.
"Smart thermostats use these algorithms and many BEMS for commercial buildings are starting to offer increasingly advanced control algorithms.
"The number of actuators in these systems is also increasing, allowing a more granular control of the indoor climate," he said.
"Comfort and well being are replacing temperature as the main control target. It is widely recognised that temperature is a poor proxy for comfort and well-being inside a building."
Van Berkel said HVAC and lighting control are now converging into one integrated "building comfort" control system.
He said buildings will interact much more with its users in the near future.
"These buildings will know your preferences and it will begin from the moment you drive up to the building and it recognises your licence plate number to allow you to gain entry," Van Berkel explained.
"It will know what you need to do in the office that day because it will know your calendar. After providing you with a parking space it will suggest a meeting room, or maybe suggest a desk on level four because all of the people you need to work with today are nearby.
"It will remember how you feel comfortable taking into account preferred temperature, humidity and view, then it will try to accommodate.”
Van Berkel said it may seem a little creepy because "that's a lot of knowing for one building" but that is where technology is heading. He said sensors are being introduced to all parts of the building from light fixtures to furniture.
"Buildings are fairly static you can only drill so many holes in a wall so furniture is a great way to get a lot of sensors into a building," Van Berkel said.
"Light fixtures are being embedded with a range of sensors from presence detection to cameras while sensor-enabled furniture allows office workers to log on to their desk.
"A lot of businesses today don't have dedicated offices so when you log on to your desk the system can provide a map of where everyone is located."
Lux Research managing director for the Asia Pacific, Cort Isernhagen said Australia is certainly in the right part of the world to excel.
“In the global race for market share in HVACR, the APAC region has many useful assets,” Isernhagen said.
“It has a large domestic market where not all demand is replacement. The sector is still adding new customers to its client base in much of the region.
“One of the main assets needed to win market share is the ability to scale to mass production of complications mechanical systems. This is one of the strengths of the APAC region.”