TI is helping ensure buildings of the future won’t just be cooler but that they’ll be greener too.

What if our office buildings instantly recognized us when we arrived in the morning and considerately let us in? And what if they generated much of the energy they required – or they scavenged it – and then used it so frugally that some was left over at the end of the day?

And can’t we expect the same from our homes?

TI thinks buildings can do much better than they do today, and so TI engineers want to sprinkle intelligence throughout rooms and hallways and even crawlspaces.

Intelligent ventilation systems alone can slash costs by nearly a third:

• TI electronics are starting to bolster the efficiency of ventilation motors in many ways, bringing them up to speed only gradually, for instance, which produces much greater efficiency than a simple on/off approach. TI is also developing advanced algorithms to replace a number of mechanical parts in those motors, reducing both manufacturing costs and mechanical repairs.
• If you bring that sort of intelligence to the motors in home ventilation systems as well – and to a typical home’s refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, power tools and even the kids’ powered toys – the ripples of efficiency rapidly spread.
• Low-power sensors can also make a big difference. The air in office buildings is often circulated simply to be absolutely sure CO2 levels don’t surpass safe levels. Add sensors that measure those levels (and their fluctuations), and then you can circulate air intelligently, cutting ventilation costs by up to 30 percent.
• Smart thermostats come next. Make them wireless and able to scavenge their own energy so they don’t even need to be wired into place. Put one where you want, turn it on and it wirelessly synchronizes itself with the central system.

Add intelligent lighting, and you cut electricity costs by another 20 percent, burning bulbs only when and where they’re needed.

And as for that smart door that recognizes you but stops someone from the competition who tries to wander in, it may not save energy, but it could well save something even more valuable.