When it comes to greener buildings, Ysael Desage has a plan

Nov 21

Ysael Desage teaches buildings to be team players in energy saving.

This 26-year-old Montreal-based PhD student at McGill University works at BrainBox AI, which uses artificial intelligence to help buildings use energy efficiently. Desage’s research allows groups of buildings to flatten collective peak demand, optimize the use of renewables and reduce overall demand — scaling up the possibilities for cost savings and reduced fossil fuel use.

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Buildings account for 30 per cent of the world’s fossil fuel use. BrainBox AI installs a box about the size of a shoebox in each building to analyze when cooling, heating, ventilation, gas and electricity are used and how the building itself responds to changes in temperature, precipitation and wind. Cloud-based artificial intelligence then draws from external data sources, such as weather predictions and utility costs, and “teaches” the building’s energy management systems how to maintain or improve human comfort while optimizing energy use.

Peter Allan

When it comes to greener buildings, Ysael Desage has a plan

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