The Fastest Path to Sustainability Success? Building Automation Done Right

3HRIVE Advisory
Sep 17, 2025
3 min read

Why Sustainability Goals Need Proof, Not Promises

In 2025, stakeholders, investors, and customers expect more than ambitious sustainability statements — they want verifiable results. Broad commitments without measurable outcomes risk damaging credibility and missing key opportunities for cost reduction.

The fastest, most reliable way to deliver tangible progress on sustainability goals is through targeted operational improvements — and building automation is often the lowest-hanging fruit.

The Case for Building Automation in 2025

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), commercial buildings consume about 75% of all electricity in the United States, with HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration systems responsible for the majority of that load.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) research shows that properly tuned building controls can reduce energy use by an average of 29%, with certain building types — like retail — reaching savings of 40% or more.

Berkeley Lab’s Smarter Small Buildings initiative has found similar potential, especially for portfolios of smaller facilities that historically underinvest in controls.

These savings aren’t theoretical — they’re achievable today with a well-planned Building Automation System (BAS) strategy.

Competitor Landscape: Multiple Paths to Success

3HRIVE Advisory’s vendor-neutral position means we evaluate all potential solutions — from traditional integrators like Johnson Controls and Siemens Smart Infrastructure, to AI-driven platforms like Phoenix ET and BrainBox AI, to data-first overlays such as Switch Automation and Facilio, to manufacturers such as Honeywell, Distech Controls, Lynxspring, Delta Controls, and many others.

While each offers different capabilities, the common denominator for success is aligning the BAS design and implementation with the organization’s strategic priorities — not simply installing hardware and hoping for the best.

Strategic Steps to Building Automation Success

Define the Business Priorities
Identify whether your top drivers are cost savings, regulatory compliance, brand leadership in sustainability, or operational resilience.
Baseline Your Portfolio
Map each facility’s current energy intensity, equipment age, and control capabilities.
Phase the Implementation
Start with your largest energy consumers — HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration — before expanding to IAQ, water, or occupancy analytics.
Integrate with Data and Reporting
Use BAS data to directly feed sustainability reports, shareholder updates, and operational dashboards.
Review and Optimize
Establish quarterly performance reviews to fine-tune settings, address inefficiencies, and adapt to evolving goals.

Beyond Energy Savings

A BAS can also:

Reduce truck rolls and emergency maintenance through fault detection and diagnostics.
Extend asset life by preventing overuse or improper operation.
Enhance occupant comfort and indoor air quality.

These benefits compound over time, creating both short-term wins and long-term resilience.

3HRIVE Advisory’s Role

As a strategic council, 3HRIVE Advisory helps organizations:

Evaluate the full market of BAS and EMS solutions, not just a single vendor’s offering.
Develop phased roadmaps that align sustainability, operational, and financial priorities.
Ensure data from building systems is actionable and integrated into enterprise reporting.

3HRIVE believes in a collaborative and unbiased approach to building automation strategies — 3HRIVE believes in a collaborative and unbiased approach when building automation strategies.

If your sustainability goals are ambitious, the path to proving progress starts with a smart building automation strategy. Let’s design a plan that delivers measurable results — faster, and with more impact.

References & Data Sources

U.S. Department of Energy, “Commercial Building Energy Consumption” (2024)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, “Energy Savings from Building Controls” (DOE-commissioned, updated 2024)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Smarter Small Buildings (2025)
Siemens Smart Infrastructure, Johnson Controls, Phoenix ET, BrainBox AI, Switch Automation, Facilio, Honeywell, Distech Controls, Lynxspring, Delta Controls — corporate solution portfolios and technical briefs (2024–2025)

Why Sustainability Goals Need Proof, Not Promises

In 2025, stakeholders, investors, and customers expect more than ambitious sustainability statements — they want verifiable results. Broad commitments without measurable outcomes risk damaging credibility and missing key opportunities for cost reduction.

The fastest, most reliable way to deliver tangible progress on sustainability goals is through targeted operational improvements — and building automation is often the lowest-hanging fruit.

The Case for Building Automation in 2025

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), commercial buildings consume about 75% of all electricity in the United States, with HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration systems responsible for the majority of that load.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) research shows that properly tuned building controls can reduce energy use by an average of 29%, with certain building types — like retail — reaching savings of 40% or more.

Berkeley Lab’s Smarter Small Buildings initiative has found similar potential, especially for portfolios of smaller facilities that historically underinvest in controls.

These savings aren’t theoretical — they’re achievable today with a well-planned Building Automation System (BAS) strategy.

Competitor Landscape: Multiple Paths to Success

While each offers different capabilities, the common denominator for success is aligning the BAS design and implementation with the organization’s strategic priorities — not simply installing hardware and hoping for the best.

Strategic Steps to Building Automation Success

Define the Business Priorities

Identify whether your top drivers are cost savings, regulatory compliance, brand leadership in sustainability, or operational resilience.

Baseline Your Portfolio

Map each facility’s current energy intensity, equipment age, and control capabilities.

Phase the Implementation

Start with your largest energy consumers — HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration — before expanding to IAQ, water, or occupancy analytics.

Integrate with Data and Reporting

Use BAS data to directly feed sustainability reports, shareholder updates, and operational dashboards.

Review and Optimize

Establish quarterly performance reviews to fine-tune settings, address inefficiencies, and adapt to evolving goals.

Beyond Energy Savings

A BAS can also:

Reduce truck rolls and emergency maintenance through fault detection and diagnostics.

Extend asset life by preventing overuse or improper operation.

Enhance occupant comfort and indoor air quality.

These benefits compound over time, creating both short-term wins and long-term resilience.

3HRIVE Advisory’s Role

As a strategic council, 3HRIVE Advisory helps organizations:

Evaluate the full market of BAS and EMS solutions, not just a single vendor’s offering.

Develop phased roadmaps that align sustainability, operational, and financial priorities.

Ensure data from building systems is actionable and integrated into enterprise reporting.

If your sustainability goals are ambitious, the path to proving progress starts with a smart building automation strategy. Let’s design a plan that delivers measurable results — faster, and with more impact.

References & Data Sources

U.S. Department of Energy, “Commercial Building Energy Consumption” (2024)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, “Energy Savings from Building Controls” (DOE-commissioned, updated 2024)

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Smarter Small Buildings (2025)

Siemens Smart Infrastructure, Johnson Controls, Phoenix ET, BrainBox AI, Switch Automation, Facilio, Honeywell, Distech Controls, Lynxspring, Delta Controls — corporate solution portfolios and technical briefs (2024–2025)

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