New Study Quantifies Global CO₂ Reduction Enabled by BACnet Building Automation

A groundbreaking study from the University of New Hampshire, for the first time, quantifies the global climate impact of BACnet, a data communication protocol for building automation and control networks. Developed under the auspices of ASHRAE, it allows building systems including heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, lighting, life safety and other systems to communicate and cooperate, driving the efficiency of the modern built environment.

The study reveals that BACnet-enabled building automation systems have mitigated 1.4 billion tons of CO₂ since 1995. This is equivalent to removing 300 million cars from the road for one year or offsetting the entire annual emissions of Japan. The research highlights BACnet’s role as a catalyst for smart building adoption worldwide.

Looking ahead, projections indicate that BACnet systems could help avoid 2.06 billion tons of CO₂ by 2030, underscoring the critical role of smart, connected building technologies in achieving global sustainability goals. The full study is available for download at ashrae.org/freeresources. For BACnet technical resources, visit ashrae.org/bacnet.