Smart and Sustainable Campuses Are Leveraging Digital Twin Technology, Strategic Partnerships, and Government Funding to Advance Energy Efficiency and Enhance Asset Value

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), the average age of school buildings in the United States is 49 years. A European Commission (EC) 2020 report stresses the need for renovation, as one-third of the European Union’s (EU) building stock is over 50 years old and more than 40% was built before the 1960s. ABI Research’s recent report states that, in 2024, there were more than 11 million educational buildings globally, spanning 138 billion square feet with less than 10% of the buildings equipped with smart building technology.

In recent years, local government grants have supported repairs, system upgrades, renovation, and modernization work, as operationally, over 75% are energy inefficient. Honeywell, Johnson Control, Scheider Electric, and Siemens cater to educational buildings through dedicated expertise and scalable technology solutions to create sustainable, smart, and decarbonized operations. Upgrades include integrating renewable energy systems, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, and building envelopes, and improving water efficiency and waste management to support net-zero goals.

Educational campus sites are typically a group of buildings with deep floor plates spread across expansive areas. The key challenges faced by the educational sector are:

• Lack of Funding: Infrastructure upgrades and renovations are capital intensive. While government grants are available, universities often don’t qualify or must bridge the deficit. Private-public partnerships and structuring innovative finance have proven successful.
• Workforce Shortage: JLL reports that the average age of a facility manager is 49 years old. The growing skills gaps, resistance to change, and lack of expertise in operating modern connected systems or retrofitting aging infrastructure are creating million-dollar backlogs.
• High Operating Costs: University campuses are communities where people live, work, and play on-site with high carbon footprints due to energy, water, and waste consumption. Digital twins’ aggregate legacy systems, remove silos, and enable remote trouble shooting and predicative maintenance, thus streamlining operations and increasing manpower utilization.
• Space Management: University campuses are victims of floating populations with a maximum occupancy of 60%, presenting an opportunity for facility managers to customize operating schedules to enhance energy efficiency and asset utilization.  

Through partnerships with smart building technology providers, universities are creating living labs to support Research and Development (R&D), identify clear and achievable net-zero targets, lower operational costs, and attract/retain top talent. Building solution providers should ensure the platform is modular, open, and integrated with third-party solutions to automate, operate, control, and monitor operations to support data-driven decision-making. Below are some examples of sustainable university campuses demonstrating living test beds and strategies to achieve decarbonized campuses:

• The University of Nottingham set a goal to become carbon neutral within the next 5 years, using Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Building portfolio, integrating legacy infrastructure and remote alarm monitoring. With a Return on Investment (ROI) of 7 to 10 years, overall energy consumption has reduced by 3%, maintenance costs reduced by 25%, occupant comfort increased to 70% and temperatures control are up 50%.

• St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas engaged Johnson Control in an innovative performance contract paid over 15 years through energy savings without risking capital, as Texas’ low utility rates made a savings-driven approach unprofitable. Johson Control experts developed a flexible and customized operation schedule with Open Blue and Metasys across 26 buildings on the campus, upgrading lighting, HVAC improvements, water conservation in dormitories, and installing Photovoltaic (PV) panels and visualization.
• Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany secured 50% funding from the State of Hessen to upgrade outdated HVAC systems in seven buildings, which accounted for over 50% energy consumption and 80% of heat consumption. Siemens deployed a holistic digital solution to modernize the HVAC system, connecting legacy system to the existing Building Management System (BMS) and automating operations for greater reliability, saving €236,000/year for one building and payback within less than 4 years.

ABI Research estimates up to a 10% increase in asset value of smart buildings in comparison to traditional buildings. Smart campuses equipped with advanced building technology are exhibiting improved energy efficiency, enhanced occupant comfort/satisfaction, security, marketability, and lower operational costs. A strategic approach to future-proofing assets in a competitive marketplace will attract more investment and increase asset value.

For more information on the number of educational buildings and built footprint, please refer to ABI Research’s Buildings Metadata (MD-MFUBT-24) and Buildings Metadata Market Data Overview: 1Q 2025 (PT-3644).