A new study from Juniper Research has found that the number of buildings globally deploying smart building technologies will reach 115 million in 2026, from 45 million in 2022.
This growth of over 150 per cent reflects increasing demand for energy efficiency from businesses and residents alike, as energy costs spike.
Juniper Research defines a smart building as a building that uses connectivity to enable economical use of resources, while creating a safe and comfortable environment for the occupants.
The new research, Smart Buildings: Key Opportunities, Competitor Leaderboard & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, found that by enabling buildings to monitor and automate common functions, significant efficiency gains can be made, while improving the environment for workers and residents.
The report recommends that vendors focus on building analytics platforms for the most value to be driven from deployments.
Research found that non-residential smart buildings will account for 90 per cent of smart building spend globally in 2026; at a similar level to 2022.
This dominance is due to the larger economies of scale in commercial premises driving this spend, as well as the commercial focus of most smart building technologies.
However, co-author of the research, Dawnetta Grant, said there will be plenty of opportunities in the residential market.
“Smart building platform vendors will understandably focus on non-residential use cases, as these provide a stronger return on investment, but they should not neglect the importance of residential deployments, as environmental concerns intensify,” Grant said.
The research found that the global shipments of sensors used in smart buildings will exceed 1 billion annually in 2026 from 360 million in 2022; representing a growth of 204 per cent. Sensors, when combined with intelligent management platforms, will allow smart buildings to adapt to conditions; matching elements such as lighting, heating and ventilation to live requirements.
The report recommends that smart building vendors partner with AI vendors to maximise the benefits of automation, such as reduced energy costs and improved working environments.