Exploring the Barriers Facing the Adoption of Building Automation Systems for Energy Efficiency in a Developing Economy

Building automation systems (BAS) play a crucial role in the operations and management of modern buildings, affecting energy efficiency for a better living. Despite the numerous benefits that BAS technology can contribute to the economic landscape of society, its adoption is still significantly low. This study explores the barriers facing the adoption of BAS for energy efficiency in a developing economy such as South Africa (SA). The study adopted a quantitative research approach with data gathered from the respondents saddled in the affairs of sustainable construction practices, such as construction managers, building energy managers, facility managers, contractors, etc. Mean item score (MIS) and factor analysis (FA) served as the method of data analysis. The findings revealed the most significant barriers facing the adoption of BAS for energy efficiency to be power supply issues, high initial costs, resistance to change, and regulation challenges; also revealed from the factor analysis that three significant constructs that serve as the major barriers facing the adoption of BAS technologies are digital divide barriers, access barriers, and compliance barriers. Conclusively, the study outlined the weight and strength of the barriers facing BAS adoption and a viable approach to mitigate such limitations in favour of socio-economic development. This guarantees energy optimisation in developing economies such as SA and contributes to the sustainable construction practices domain.