Johnson Controls (JCI) is committed to creating smart, sustainable buildings. With residential and commercial buildings accounting for around 40% of total U.S. Energy consumption and 20% worldwide, JCI wanted to bring positive change for the planet and created OpenBlue—a smart building platform that helps enhance building intelligence and accelerate decarbonization. Built on Microsoft Azure, the smart building platform uses IoT technology to connect data from independent building systems (like climate control, lighting, fire, life safety and security) into a core “digital brain” and then applies machine learning (ML) to enable the micro-management of real-time building performance at scale. With better data and monitoring abilities, buildings can cut energy costs and emissions by automatically adjusting air flow based on the number of occupants. However, the platform needed a customizable delivery solution to scale and achieve its true decarbonization potential.
OpenBlue’s cost efficiency and real-time operational awareness capabilities caught the eye of one of the most prominent sports organizations in the world that was keen to know how it could reinvent the way its stadiums are managed in order to optimize building operations, achieve energy savings and meet sustainability goals.
Accenture and JCI entered a five-year partnership to incorporate virtual reality, 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), ML, cybersecurity, digital twins and IoT into the OpenBlue platform. This brings together millions of datapoints from security, climate control, IT and energy systems to map and create digital replicas of all stadiums. JCI can now proactively monitor operations like security, lighting and airflow while providing sporting fans with better experiences and supporting the environment.
20%-30%
reduction in operations costs
10%-15%
reduction in maintenance spend
10%-20%
reduction in energy emissions
As JCI drives sustainable building development and operations across the industry, the OpenBlue platform is harmonizing its suite of digital solutions so building operators can significantly reduce energy demand, optimize operations and allocate retrofit investments—making it easier to achieve net zero decarbonization.
OpenBlue is also the catalyst for the company’s transition from a product manufacturer to a digital services company. It positions JCI to lead in the growing smart buildings market.
With the OpenBlue innovation centers and ongoing partnership, Accenture’s expertise in platform engineering, integration and sustainability will help deliver more enhanced capabilities faster—accelerating how quickly JCI and its clients can cut emissions, energy and costs. For example, new features include AI-driven analytics to optimize both space utilization and O2 vs. CO2 saturation in airflows, as well as to monitor infectious disease risks.
Together, we’re reinventing the places where we work, live, play and cheer.
