4/7/2022

The Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment (ISSE) recently received a gift of $58,000 from Schneider Electric to launch a Building Environment initiative aimed at reducing energy consumption in buildings to meet national energy and environmental challenges.

Schneider will provide sensors and integrated systems to monitor and manage buildings. Led by Assistant Professor Shuai Li and Professor Qiang He, ISSE will build a live lab to conduct research on smart buildings for energy saving and human health through data collection and integration, analytics, adaptive controls, and personal engagement. 

Buildings account for about 40% of all primary energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Because people spend about 90% of their time indoors, interior environments have a significant impact on our health and productivity. 

“This generous gift from Schneider Electric will enhance the research and industrial outreach of the Healthy Environment Team at UT,” said John D. Tickle Professor Mingzhou Jin, ISSE Director. 

The team, which won the 2021 Provost Award for Success in Multidisciplinary Research, will employ Schneider’s digital building technologies to develop innovative tools and solutions for energy savings, human health, and productivity improvement.