Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) and NXP® Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) announced at CES 2024 that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help optimize the way commercial buildings sense and securely control energy consumption.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), buildings' operations contribute to 30% of global final energy consumption and 26% of global energy-related emissions, so decisions made today will significantly impact future energy use and potential savings. Today's smart energy solutions increasingly leverage machine learning and data analytics to enhance buildings' autonomy and energy efficiency. 

The collaboration aims to help make buildings operate more intelligently by integrating NXP Semiconductors' neural network-enabled, industrial-grade applications processors into Honeywell's building management systems (BMS). The MOU will initially focus on the Honeywell Optimizer Suite, which offers a flexible, more future-proofed building control and automation platform.

More broadly, the efforts aim to deliver smart energy solutions powered by AI/machine learning and data analytics to enhance building autonomy, driving energy efficiency while guiding service technicians. The goal is to fully leverage NXP's neural network-enabled i.MX chipset capabilities to further enhance Honeywell's BMS product offerings. 

"Buildings are increasingly relying on data and the ability to control operations via automation to make them more sustainable while operating more efficiently," said Suresh Venkatarayalu, Honeywell's chief technology officer. "NXP's latest machine learning solutions will help us deliver excellence in building automation for our customers." 

"It has never been more important to increase the sustainability and comfort of smart buildings," said Lars Reger, NXP Semiconductors' chief technology officer. "NXP's advanced portfolio of securely connected processing solutions are supported by easy-to-use tools for rapid AI model development and service platform for provisioning and managing IoT devices throughout the long building management lifecycle. This capability, combined with Honeywell's expertise as one of the leading building management solution providers, marks an important milestone in our shared vision to enable a smarter, more connected world for all."

Honeywell will build on NXP's scalable semiconductor and software solutions, such as the i.MX 8M applications processors and i.MX RT crossover microcontrollers, to help securely observe, learn and adapt in real time, enhancing analytics and decision-making in the same on-site BMS equipment that manages critical building systems. Augmented by cloud-based big data analytics through the Honeywell Forge analytics solutions, buildings can increasingly leverage better foresight and insight for energy usage optimization to enable improved sustainability outcomes.