The Johnson Controls Building Analytics for Sustainability and Health Center at Clemson University will provide funding for two research projects aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing energy usage in buildings.

Located in the Watt Family Innovation Center, the center serves as a multidisciplinary hub for outreach, innovation, education, research and the development of student talent in the building operations industry. Johnson Controls has committed $1 million in funding for research over three years. The first round of funding provides more than $250,000 split between two projects.

Mark Krystofik, interim executive director of the Watt Center and director of the center, led an internal call for proposals in coordination with the Division of Research. Through this competitive process, two proposals were selected for awards this year.

Amin Khademi, Michael Risbeck (Johnson Controls), Jon Douglas (Johnson Controls), Mark Krystofik and Ehsan Mousavi

“Investigating Predictive Maintenance Opportunities in Large Education Premises: A Big Data Analytics Approach” looks at designing and implementing a data-driven system to help streamline the maintenance of large buildings on a college campus. Using data and machine learning, researchers hope to create a system that can help facilities managers predict, prepare for and prioritize maintenance requests. The project is led by Ehsan Mousavi, associate professor of construction science and management, and Amin Khademi, associate professor of industrial engineering.

“A Comprehensive Approach to Optimize Building Operations and Maximize User Comfort” will look at using “crowdsensing” technologies, which allow a large number of users to provide sensory data in real time, along with numerical modeling and AI to better regulate building temperature to both maximize energy efficiency as well as user comfort and health. In other words, researchers want to develop an HVAC control system that would be more responsive to feedback given by the people in a building.

Vincent Blouin, Linke Guo, John Douglas (Johnson Controls), Michael Risbeck (Johnson Controls) and Mark Krystofik

This research, led by Vincent Blouin, an associate professor with a joint appointment in architecture and materials science and engineering, and Linke Guo, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, includes a Creative Inquiry (CI) project that gives students the opportunity to test various technologies in several buildings on campus, including the Watt Center.

“I am excited to support innovative research at Clemson University focused on optimizing building operations, enhancing user comfort, and advancing predictive maintenance strategies for large educational facilities,” said Jon Douglas, technical director of product lifecycle solutions for Johnson Controls. “These efforts drive smarter, more efficient environments and contribute to the future of sustainable, intelligent building management.”

“Americans spend approximately 87 percent of their time indoors, and buildings account for nearly 40 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, so making our buildings healthier, more comfortable and more energy efficient is critical to our future. I am grateful to our partners at Johnson Controls for their support of this research,” said Krystofik.

Angie Leidinger, senior vice president of the External Affairs Division and senior advisor to the Clemson University Board of Trustees, expressed appreciation for Johnson Controls’ involvement in talent development, research, and campus and community impact by establishing the Johnson Controls Center and making these research investments.

“Johnson Controls is a strategic corporate partner of the University, and we are grateful for their tremendous engagement with faculty and students through this new Center,” she said.

The Johnson Controls Building Analytics for Sustainability and Health Center will also support student assistantships and a certificate program, as well as opportunities for experiential learning and industry engagement for students. The total commitment from Johnson Controls to establish the Center was nearly $3 million as announced this past fall.

Johnson Controls has long been an active partner for Clemson, having participated in a number of initiatives including the Human-Centered Building Design Research Symposium and Workshop held in December and the recent AI Summit held at the Madren Conference Center.

About the Watt Family Innovation Center

The Watt Family Innovation Center is Clemson’s most technology-enhanced academic building, featuring state-of-the-art information technology and special facilities. Established in 2016 with the support of more than $25 million in corporate donations, the Watt Center’s mission is to create an environment where collaboration among students, faculty, and leaders from industry and government agencies generates ideas and solves complex problems. The Watt Center is available for students and faculty in all disciplines as a flexible space for collaboration, innovation and project development.

About Johnson Controls

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

Building on a proud history of 140 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering.

Today, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the most trusted names in the industry.

Visit www.johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @Johnson Controls on social platforms.