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Proptech can help make buildings more sustainable by showing operators how energy is being used, automating building systems, and adjusting electricity demand when conditions change. It is an enabling tool, not a guaranteed source of savings: results depend on the building, system integration, occupant needs, and local energy-market rules.
How does proptech make buildings more sustainable?
Here, proptech means digital technology used to design, operate, monitor, or manage buildings. It includes building management and energy management systems, sensors, control systems, data platforms, and digital twins. Together, these tools can help operators identify energy waste, match services to actual building needs, and test operational changes.
Data-driven building applications rely on capturing and sharing information through interfaces such as APIs, supported by cloud or edge infrastructure. The IEA Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme’s Annex 81, completed for 2019–2025, describes this foundation alongside building emulation and automation.
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- Monitoring: meters and sensors collect information about energy use, occupancy, or indoor air quality.
- Control: a building management or automation system can use data to adjust equipment such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).
- Analytics and simulation: software can identify patterns, forecast demand, or model possible changes before they are applied.
These capabilities may be integrated, but a monitor alone does not control equipment, and a digital model does not automatically produce operating savings. The IEA’s Annex 81 publications describe examples of monitoring and model-predictive control; the right capabilities depend on the building and its systems.
#1 Best Overall
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
Can smart buildings reduce energy use?
They can. Monitoring and controls can help operators spot waste and better align energy services with a building’s needs. For example, energy-management software may combine data from an existing system with weather information to understand or predict demand. But the size of any improvement depends on the starting point, equipment, controls, data quality, setup, and ongoing operation.
The IEA’s 2019 Grid Edge artificial-intelligence case study describes a system that used AI to optimize energy use and forecast demand 24 hours ahead. In that particular deployment, the IEA reported potential cost savings and revenue generation of more than 10% of annual on-site energy costs, and up to 40% carbon reduction from load-shifting and efficiency measures. These are case-specific reported results, not typical or guaranteed outcomes for other buildings or software.
Rank #2
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
The evidence cited here does not establish an independently verified portfolio-wide average saving across building types. Treat savings claims as meaningful only when the source explains the baseline, measurement period, building, and whether the figure is measured, simulated, or estimated.
How can buildings respond to the power grid?
A grid-interactive efficient building combines energy efficiency with the ability to adjust electricity use in response to grid conditions. It may reduce or shift demand at one time, then use more electricity when supply is more abundant. Smart technologies and communications can help coordinate these changes while maintaining building services.
Rank #3
- ⚡ EASY INSTALLATION: Installs in circuit panel of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports single-phase up to 240VAC line-neutral; single, split-phase 120/240VAC; and three-phase up to 415Y/240VAC (no Delta). The branch lines can automatically match different phases and have no restrictions in terms of quantity and voltage.Panels with access only to busbars will need flexible sensors available from SEM-Meter.
- ⚡ ENERGY MONITORING ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: Monitor your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. Light commercial 3 phase option available as a separate bundle. Protected by a 1-year warranty.
- ⚡ VARIOUS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE MONITORING: Comes with 16 50A sensors to accurately monitor your air conditioner, furnace, water heater, washer, dryer, range, etc.
- ⚡ LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: SEM-Meter measures real-time spending and gets actionable notifications to understand where savings can be made, both to lower your electric bill and to conserve energy and protect the planet’s resources. Be an environmentalist.
- ⚡ REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: Connect SEM-Meter device via 2.4GHz WiFi to monitor energy usage, with an accuracy range of 1%. View usage in real time through Android/Apple software. Statistics of power usage in now/day/week/month/year format: the validity period of hourly exported data is 90 days, and the exported data of day/month/year data is permanent, available at any time Export from application.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings initiative was launched in 2018 to explore buildings as flexible energy resources, combining efficiency and demand flexibility with smart technology and communications. The IEA likewise describes efficient grid-interactive buildings as a way to combine energy efficiency, digital technology, and decarbonized electricity in its 2023 overview, Efficient Grid-Interactive Buildings.
Technical capability does not ensure that a building can join a demand-response program or earn revenue. Participation depends on controllable loads, local market rules, access arrangements, aggregation, and any minimum participation thresholds. The IEA case study identifies market rules and participation requirements as potential barriers. Its report on digitalisation and demand response in emerging markets and developing economies, published 10 July 2023, also discusses uneven conditions for deployment. Connectivity, data access, skilled operation, and market access should not be assumed to be uniform across countries or building types.
Rank #4
- AUDIT EVERY CENT & SLASH ELECTRIC BILLS: Stop the guesswork and start saving. By monitoring 18 individual circuits with professional ±1% precision, Refoss Home Energy Monitor shows exactly where your money goes. Identifying “energy vampires”—from HVACs to aging appliances—in real-time helps households effectively reduce monthly utility bills by 10%-20%. This smart power meter is the ultimate tool for electricity consumption audits.
- LOCAL PRIVACY & MULTI-PLATFORM CONTROL: Your home energy data belongs to you, not a cloud server. Featuring a built-in Local Web UI, Open API, and MQTT, and WebSocket, Refoss ensures 100% data privacy. Seamlessly integrate with Home Assistant (via Refoss_RPC) to manage every kWh without cloud reliance or subscription fees. Ideal for a secure electricity monitor with professional local control.
- SMART AUTOMATION & SOLAR ROI OPTIMIZATION: Turn your solar panels into a high-yield investment. Surplus solar and net metering energy can be directed to medium-power appliances like heat pumps, dishwashers, and microwaves, while time-of-use and peak demand energy management ensures maximum solar self-consumption, prevents low-value grid feed-in, and reduces utility bills.
- 5-YEAR DATA ANALYTICS & SMART FAULT ALERTS: Catch appliance failures early before they become expensive repairs. Refoss records minute/hourly/daily/weekly/monthly/yearly usage, with daily data securely stored for 5 years and fully exportable via CSV without any subscription. Receive smart alerts if a fridge or washer consumes unusually high energy, helping you optimize home power usage habits and prevent bill spikes.
- STABLE SIGNAL & EASY SETUP: This system supports Single-phase, Split-phase, and 3-phase 4-wire Wye systems, featuring 2 main sensors (up to 200A) and 16 branch sensors (up to 60A). ETL certified with a 2-year warranty, it includes an external high-gain antenna for enhanced Wi-Fi stability. Most importantly: if a sensor is installed backward, simply flip the reading in the App with one tap—no need to rewire or reopen the live breaker box.
What do sensors and digital twins contribute?
Sensors and data platforms
Sensors can monitor energy use, occupancy, and indoor air quality. When connected to appropriate building controls, that information can support automated or model-predictive control. Data interfaces and integration matter: operators need to know whether a proposed system can work with existing meters, HVAC equipment, sensors, and building automation systems.
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A digital twin or virtual building model can help explore how a building might perform under different conditions and assess interventions before applying them in operation. The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency’s iBECOME project page describes a virtual building management system intended to optimize energy performance and comfort while using demand response.
Best Value
- EM16P MODEL & LOCAL CONTROL & DATA PRIVACY: Access your home energy monitor data locally via Built-in Web UI, Open API, and MQTT without relying on cloud services. Unlike cloud-dependent monitors, Refoss ensures your data stays within your home network. Direct local access protects your privacy while giving you 100% full control of your home energy system.
- NATIVE HOME ASSISTANT & OPENCLAW AI: Experience seamless Native Home Assistant integration right out of the box—no firmware flashing or complex coding required. Featuring ✨NEW✨ OpenClaw Support, it enables AI-driven automation for smarter, real-time energy management and seamless smart home control.
- MAXIMIZE SOLAR & ZERO FEED-IN AUTOMATION: Designed for solar homes, the power monitor works with the Refoss app and Home Assistant to automatically use surplus solar power. Appliances like EV chargers, washing machines, and water heaters are powered during midday peaks, maximizing solar self-consumption and reducing low-value electricity feed-in to the grid. Optimizes usage and reduces bills.
- REAL-TIME MONITORING & ±1% ACCURACY: Monitor voltage, current, active power, and power factor of major appliances. Provides ±1% accuracy (200A: 2–200A; 60A: 1–60A) and ±2% at low current. Daily data stored up to 5 years and exportable. With no subscriptions or hidden fees, you get deep historical insights to help you identify every energy-saving opportunity and save 10–20% on monthly bills.
- SMART ALERTS & CIRCUIT-LEVEL CONTROL: Set usage targets for each individual circuit and receive instant alerts when appliances exceed normal consumption. Refoss app supports automation and peak management to optimize schedules, reduce peaks, and improve efficiency. Real-time electricity usage monitor for circuit-level insights.
The project page reports a 98% reduction in building-model calibration duration and a 27% average improvement in accuracy after testing an automated method on a case-study building; the page does not state a year for these figures. They describe that test, not the performance of digital twins generally. The IEA’s overview of digital tools for energy-efficiency policy also documents virtual-building and digital-twin applications in planning. Simulation can inform decisions, but does not by itself prove operating savings.
What should building owners and facility managers evaluate?
Compare systems by what they can do and how they fit the building, rather than by a headline savings claim alone.
- Function: Does the system only monitor, or can it also control equipment and support demand response?
- Integration: Can it use existing meters, sensors, HVAC equipment, and building automation? Which data interfaces are available?
- Evidence: Is the claimed outcome from a measured deployment, a simulation, a vendor estimate, or a general claim? What baseline and period were used?
- Occupant outcomes: How will comfort and indoor environmental quality be monitored as controls change?
- Grid participation: Do local programs permit the building to participate, and are aggregation or other access requirements involved?
- Deployment and operation: What setup, calibration, cybersecurity, data-governance, and facilities expertise are needed?
These questions do not have one universal answer: requirements vary with the product, building, and jurisdiction. Owners and occupants may also worry that optimization will reduce comfort or services. The IEA’s Grid Edge case study identifies trust in maintaining comfort and services as a barrier; changes should be assessed against occupant needs, not energy figures alone.
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What proptech can—and cannot—tell you
Proptech can provide better information, automate selected building operations, help test changes, and make electricity demand more flexible. Whether those capabilities deliver lasting environmental or financial benefits depends on implementation, integration, operation, occupant outcomes, and local rules. A project’s reported result can show what happened in that context; it cannot promise the same result for every building.
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