Honeywell announced today a collaboration with Cisco on an AI-powered solution that automatically adapts building systems based on fluctuating usage levels, reducing energy consumption and optimizing the environment for worker productivity and comfort.  By combining Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings and Cisco Spaces, the joint effort uses AI and machine learning to help monitor assets to adjust heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems based on real-time occupancy for a single building or an entire campus.

Cisco Spaces collects occupancy and environmental data from Cisco network infrastructure, environmental sensors, collaboration devices and third-party IoT devices without the need to add additional hardware. Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings then uses this information to help improve energy efficiency and provide insights on building utilization.

Together with Honeywell's latest Optimizer Advanced Controller for Buildings, this real-time occupancy data can help further improve energy efficiency for greater resiliency. Room temperatures, lighting and ventilation are autonomously adjusted based on where people are in the building and customer selected controls. This ultimately helps automate daily building operations, optimize energy use and drive employee comfort while monitoring GHG emissions.

"Buildings have historically been a substantial contributor to overall carbon emissions, but with the rise of hybrid work, operators now have the opportunity to take a fresh look at addressing their environmental impact by moving their HVAC systems away from consistent 9-to-5 schedules," said Greg Turner, Chief Technology Officer of Honeywell's Building Automation segment. "By tapping into a building's existing technology infrastructure and harnessing the power of AI to fine-tune heating and cooling according to zone occupancy levels, our collaboration with Cisco empowers building owners to gain control of their environment and significantly curb emissions."

The collaboration is part of Honeywell's broader effort to help companies reduce their buildings' environmental footprint and supports Honeywell's alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including automation and energy transition. It is also enabled by Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration program, a global initiative that collaborates with government and private sector leaders to build sustainable, secure and inclusive communities powered by ethical and innovative technology solutions.

"The convergence of IT and OT infrastructures, seamlessly interoperable with leading building management system (BMS) platforms, ushers in an era of real-time data insights that can optimize energy usage, regardless of building age or retrofit status," said Wes Sylvester, Vice President of Cisco's Industry Solutions Group. "By working closely with Honeywell, we're enabling building operators with enhanced visibility and control over operational data, setting a new standard for energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact."

"Energy management is firmly at the forefront of building owners' minds," said Harry Wilson, analyst at Verdantix. "The continued presence of hybrid working policies and lower office utilization, coupled with new asset-specific realities, has put owners under substantial financial and environmental pressure to ensure they are operating facilities efficiently and not wasting resources."

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