Hanwha Construction joins government project to manage building energy with AI

Hanwha's construction division is developing AI and digital twin technology to manage building energy more efficiently, with plans to extend its energy optimization work beyond data centers to general commercial buildings.

The company announced Wednesday it will join a government-backed research project led by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy to develop and demonstrate a building energy management simulator using Building Information Modeling and digital twin technology. The project involves 11 industry, academic and research institutions — including E8, Seoul National University and the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology — with total research and development funding of about 15.3 billion won ($11.1 million).

At the core of the project is digital twin technology that links real-time building operational data to three-dimensional BIM models. The system will use AI to predict hourly energy consumption and detect anomalies in advance, improving overall energy management efficiency.

Hanwha's construction division will be responsible for verifying building operations and maintenance using digital twin technology. The company is targeting energy consumption forecast accuracy of at least 95 percent and a reduction in peak power demand of more than 20 percent.

Over the longer term, the project aims to lay the groundwork for autonomous building operation technology, in which AI analyzes equipment conditions and energy usage patterns to automatically optimize efficiency.

The technology will first be tested at Gyeonggi Province Government, Kintex and Seoul National University before being rolled out more broadly.

Hanwha's construction division is also participating this year in a separate government project worth 43.8 billion won focused on energy efficiency for AI data centers. Combined with the latest project, the company's total involvement in government-backed energy efficiency initiatives now stands at 59.1 billion won.

Kim Min-seok, head of the construction division's architecture business unit, said the project represents "a forward-looking digital transformation in the construction sector, extending BIM into the operational phase," adding that the company will continue building its capabilities in autonomous building operation technology based on AI and digital twins.

Hanwha's construction division is also pursuing a separate government project to improve power efficiency at AI data centers. On Aug. 12, the company was selected as a project operator for an energy efficiency research initiative led by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning.