Retrofitting buildings with digital twins

Digital twins can play a key role in the retrofitting of existing assets as we look towards a net-zero future.

In the UK, 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 already exist today which highlights the need for retrofits. There are only a limited number of buildings that are compliant with our ambitious net-zero targets.

Addressing existing buildings to reduce carbon

Climate change is a universal issue and the journey towards a decarbonised future must consider regional disparities. More than half of the building stock needed by 2050 in developing countries is yet to be built.

This shifts the focus onto addressing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions within developed nations where most of the future building stock is already in operation.

As mentioned previously, 80% of today’s buildings will still be in operation in 2050 and 75% of this stock is energy inefficient, this is because they were built prior to the introduction of modern energy standards. The majority of buildings in Europe were constructed before most EU countries introduced energy building regulations in the 1980s. It is a similar situation in the United States.

Old buildings have extremely high energy demands and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions due to the burning of fossil fuels to provide heat as well as generating electricity. The most cost-effective way of reducing emissions is by lowering energy demands and addressing energy inefficiency. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, 42% of the energy used to heat and cool a space is wasted.

The role of digital twins

A digital twin bridges the gap between the physical and digital world turning everyday data into value. It is the virtual replica of an asset, process or system and is an amalgamation of technologies that integrate data from a variety of sources, providing an understanding of real-world conditions such as energy flows, environmental conditions and material attributes.

By utilising IoT technology, Twinview can provide building owners with a constant stream of real-time data as well as insights into how a building is performing. Twinview aggregates all this information onto a single platform enabling building owners to understand how their buildings are expending energy. This provides evidence and a foundation from which decisions can be taken to reduce a building’s carbon footprint.

Twinview is a browser-based digital twin platform for the property sector connecting building systems’ data to a 3D model viewed on a single dashboard. Twinview becomes your first step to achieving Net Zero by providing continuous live data and an optimised building performance whilst reducing costs and improving the user experience. Book a demo today.