As we enter 2025 with many questions and more than a little anxiety, it is hard not to be encouraged and reassured by this industry's pervasive optimism and resilience.
For all that we have been through these last five years, there is nevertheless an undeniable sense of confidence and progress propelling this industry forward into the new year. In particular, the promise of new technology seems greater than ever right now, despite concerns about possible pitfalls.
In particular, a growing number in our industry now seem to feel artificial intelligence is now on the verge of making a major impact.
Just this January, in fact, Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) released the results of an expansive 2025 outlook survey with responses from more than 1,000 members. The feedback was undeniably upbeat. For instance, 69% of firms were expecting to add to their headcounts this year, and 77% were having difficulty filling open positions. In fact, their biggest concerns heading into this new year were labor costs and an insufficient supply of qualified workers. Fear of an economic recession only placed fifth on the group's list of worries.
Two other results, in particular, stood out and they are undoubtedly related. Roughly 1,000 general contractors said that the construction segment that they expect to see grow the most this year is the already booming market for data centers. And what is the technology in which they plan to make their biggest investment increase over 2024? Artificial intelligence.
So, get ready. Our world is changing.
On the December episode of HPAC On The Air, ASHRAE President M. Dennis Knight, P.E., had this to say about A.I.:
"Artificial intelligence is one of those topics that seems to come up a lot at just about every meeting I go to here in the States and around the world. Specifically, its potential applications in building automation, energy management, and design optimization.
We now have an A.I. multidisciplinary task group that is working to harmonize and coordinate anything that our technical committees or handbook subcommittees might be working on. They are looking to find any applications for A.I. that would help on the technical side of developing an HVAC system design process.
We're also exploring how A.I. can enhance ASHRAE's own member services website, particularly looking to provide more efficient access to our handbooks and standards for our practitioners. Our staff is talking with several vendors now about creating some small language application models -- not large language models like ChatGPT -- that can use A.I. and machine learning to create some local small language models that would help our members with reserach of our standards and handbooks and project documentation.
That could really revolutionize how our members utilize ASHRAE's 130-year-old knowledge base."
Smart buildings, in particular, are already part of that revolution. Check out this seminar description from the ASHRAE Winter Conference this February in Orlando. The event has its own program track for Artificial Intelligence, Building Automation and Controls.
AI-Driven Alarms: Boosting BAS Controls with Instant ROI
BAS control systems are often inundated with alarms that go unnoticed, leading to potential issues going unaddressed. Staff may overlook the thousands of alarms that accumulate week
after week, but what are the consequences of inaction? Are the same 10 alarms triggering repeatedly, every few hours? This is where artificial intelligence comes into play, offering a
powerful solution to this pervasive problem. With today's AI technology, managing recurring alarms can be streamlined, providing immediate insights and solutions. This seminar explores the potential of AI in transforming BAS alarm management, showcasing successful AI-driven solutions to tackle these challenges head-on. (Presented by Carol Lomonaco)
Indeed, ROI is the key. As our industry becomes more open to the concept of A.I. delivering a tangible return on investment, and not just an expensive novelty, none of us should be surprised to see this tranformative technology join our project teams both sooner and later.
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