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AI-Driven Transformations in Smart Buildings: A Review of Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Operations

Emedo, Chinwe, Wada, Ojima Z., David-Olawade, Aanuoluwapo Clement, Ling, Jonathan, Esan, Deborah T., Ijiwade, James and Olawade, David B. (2025) AI-Driven Transformations in Smart Buildings: A Review of Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Operations. Digital Engineering, 7. p. 100068. ISSN 2950550X

Item Type: Article

Abstract

This comprehensive review examines the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on smart buildings and real estate management through a systematic narrative analysis of peer-reviewed articles and industry reports published between 2016-2024. Using a thematic synthesis approach across five primary domains, property valuation, predictive maintenance, tenant screening, marketing and sales, and smart building operations, we investigated AI's role in enhancing energy efficiency and sustainable operations. Key findings reveal that AI-powered systems achieve remarkable performance improvements: valuation accuracy increased from 70% to 95%, operational costs reduced by 17.6%, maintenance costs decreased by 13.2%, and energy savings reached 14% while maintaining 91% resident satisfaction. Our analysis identifies critical implementation barriers including data quality challenges, algorithmic bias risks, substantial upfront investments, and skills gaps. The review reveals that ensemble machine learning techniques achieve 85-100% accuracy in energy forecasting, while IoT-integrated predictive maintenance systems extend equipment lifespan by 25-30%. Despite promising benefits, ethical considerations around privacy, transparency, and fairness demand immediate attention. This review contributes novel insights into the economic-environmental nexus of AI adoption, demonstrating that sustainable building operations and profitability are not mutually exclusive but rather synergistic outcomes of intelligent system integration.

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Additional Information: ** Article version: AM ** From Elsevier via Jisc Publications Router ** History: accepted 18-09-2025; issued 19-09-2025. ** Licence for AM version of this article starting on 19-09-2025: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Uncontrolled Keywords: Artificial intelligence Smart buildings Energy efficiency Predictive maintenance Property management Real estate
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Identifiers

Item ID: 19578
Identification Number: 10.1016/j.dte.2025.100068
ISSN: 2950550X
URI: https://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/19578
Official URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/...

Users with ORCIDS

ORCID for Jonathan Ling: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2932-4474
ORCID for David B. Olawade: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0188-9836

Catalogue record

Date Deposited: 23 Dec 2025 15:13
Last Modified: 23 Dec 2025 15:13

Contributors

Author: Jonathan Ling ORCID iD
Author: David B. Olawade ORCID iD
Author: Chinwe Emedo
Author: Ojima Z. Wada
Author: Aanuoluwapo Clement David-Olawade
Author: Deborah T. Esan
Author: James Ijiwade

University Divisions

Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing > School of Nursing and Health Sciences

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