Johnson Controls has recently announced a significant expansion of AI capabilities in its OpenBlue Enterprise Manager suite of digital solutions. These new updates include the introduction of customer-facing generative AI applications, enhanced autonomous building controls, and an improved user experience. These updates are aimed at setting the stage for further AI enhancements in 2025, focusing on performance standards, cost savings through optimized equipment performance, and regulatory compliance.
The enhanced AI features in OpenBlue are designed to take data insights to the next level and build on the positive impact that customers have already experienced with the platform. By using OpenBlue Enterprise Manager to guide facility improvements, along with equipment upgrades and proactive services, customers have seen up to a 30% reduction in energy spend, up to a 20% reduction in maintenance spend, and a 10% increase in optimized space utilization.
Vijay Sankaran, Chief Technology Officer at Johnson Controls, highlighted the significance of these new AI-driven features in OpenBlue, stating that they enhance operational efficiency, sustainability, and provide building owners and operators with unprecedented levels of insight and control. The company is committed to pioneering innovations that drive automation and create smarter, more responsive environments for customers.
A recent study by Forrester Consulting revealed that 90% of respondents feel that their building systems are not fully integrated, leading to inefficiencies in time, resources, and costs. The expanded features in OpenBlue aim to address these challenges by providing clearer insights and better performance, including integrated generative AI tools for recommending energy savings projects, improved user experience, expanded data insights on building visitors, enhanced indoor air quality monitoring, and automatic adjustment of setpoints based on fault diagnostics.
The integrated generative AI tools in OpenBlue offer proactive recommendations for impactful energy savings projects, reducing the need for manual analysis of large amounts of building data. The system anticipates energy usage needs based on live weather data, providing actionable insights to help customers achieve energy savings and reduce carbon emissions. This feature leverages Johnson Controls’ decades of experience in the commercial buildings space to automatically construct prompts for the AI chatbot.
Furthermore, the new features in OpenBlue are driving towards autonomous buildings, allowing customers to run their buildings with less manual intervention. The system can automate processes, adjust setpoints based on fault diagnostics to save energy and accelerate cost savings, provide detailed information on equipment performance, and support digitalization of Standard Operating Procedures. The platform also offers major upgrades to the user experience, focusing on design, navigation, and accessibility, along with enhanced indoor air quality monitoring and visitor analytics.
Overall, OpenBlue Enterprise Manager empowers customers to unlock the performance of their buildings through real-time data visibility, advanced analytics, visualization, and controls. These enhancements not only improve operational outcomes but also ensure certification, regulatory compliance, and data security and privacy. Johnson Controls’ commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions continues to shape the future of building management technology.
