Next gen solutions for real estate’s energy crisis

Today’s businesses are facing the stark reality of real estate’s escalating energy crisis. With energy demand forecasted to rise 12.5%¹ over the next five years and electricity prices surging 29% between 2019 and 2024², property owners and occupiers face unprecedented challenges to ensure they have reliable and affordable energy supplies. 

Many external factors are adding fuel to the fire. The convergence of deferred grid maintenance and increasingly severe and frequent extreme weather events mean that power outages are now over 30 times more likely than before, according to the US Department of Energy³. 

The AI revolution meets energy resilience 

Power-hungry AI is both exacerbating the energy crisis and providing a key solution to managing soaring demand. Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies offer sophisticated tools to optimize energy consumption, predict maintenance needs, and enhance building efficiency across real estate portfolios. 

Smart building systems powered by AI can continuously analyze energy usage patterns, automatically adjusting HVAC, lighting, and other building systems to minimize consumption without compromising occupant comfort. These technologies can reduce energy costs while providing real-time insights into performance optimization opportunities. 

Emerging technologies transforming energy management 

Beyond AI, several technologies are reshaping how buildings consume and generate energy. IoT sensors create comprehensive energy monitoring networks, while predictive analytics identify potential equipment failures before they occur, reducing the costly impact of deferred maintenance that contributes to grid instability. 

Digital twins—virtual replicas of physical buildings—enable property managers to test energy scenarios and optimize performance without real-world experimentation. Combined with blockchain-enabled energy trading platforms, these technologies will allow buildings to participate in peer-to-peer energy markets, potentially monetizing excess solar generation or battery storage capacity. 

JLL Spark Global Ventures: Pioneering energy innovation 

While the energy crisis is a growing business risk, it equally offers an opportunity to rethink and improve outdated energy management and distribution systems. JLL Spark, JLL’s venture capital arm, has strategically invested in companies at the forefront of energy technology innovation. Its portfolio includes cutting-edge startups such as occupancy intelligence platform VergeSense and ecoworks for sustainable building renovations,  that can help companies better manage their energy needs and safeguard their supply. 

In addition to investing in real estate startups through JLL Spark, JLL also acquired technologies such as Hank and Envio, AI-powered building optimization platforms to integrate into JLL’s workplace management capabilities. These investments aren’t just financial—they represent JLL’s  commitment to bringing emerging energy technologies to market and integrating them into practical solutions for our clients.  

For today’s buildings owners and managers, one key challenge is developing energy-smart strategies that integrate existing and evolving technologies holistically. Through our JLL Spark portfolio companies and comprehensive energy advisory services, we help clients implement solutions that combine energy efficiency improvements with onsite generation assets like solar panels, battery storage, and microgrids. 

As the energy crisis intensifies, real estate professionals who embrace these emerging technologies will see clear competitive advantages, creating portfolios that are not only resilient but profitable in an increasingly volatile energy landscape.  

¹ US Department of Energy, Resource Adequacy Report: Evaluating the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid, July 2025 

² GridStrategies analysis  of FERC Form 714 filings, in Strategic Industries Surging: Driving US Power Demand

³ US DOE Ibid

Authored by Josephine Tucker, Head of Energy Advisory and Sustainability at JLL.

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