Case Studies

Discover how Open Building Insights is making a difference in communities around the globe. Each story highlights a real-world use case where OBI has supported planning and development projects.

Planning and Monitoring Energy Transition Strategies in Public Buildings

Collaborator: State Department for Public Works (Kenya)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) team is collaborating with Kenya's State Department of Public Works (SDoPW) to apply the OBI platform in the planning and monitoring of energy-transition strategies for public buildings. The collaboration is initially being implemented through a pilot in Makueni County, focusing on healthcare facilities to improve the targeting of energy interventions. As part of this effort, the collaboration also includes the updating and hosting of newly collected building-level data, acquired through primary data collection, within the OBI database.

Informing Heat Action Planning with Building-Level Insights

Collaborator: Mahila Housing Trust (MHT)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) team is collaborating with Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) to apply OBI's heat-vulnerability parameters in support of localized Heat Action Planning. The proof of concept is being undertaken in selected cities in Gujarat and Rajasthan, where OBI's geospatial analytics are being used to help identify areas with heightened heat risk and to inform the design of targeted resilience measures.

This work is complemented by on-the-ground data collection to validate model outputs and refine key parameters, ensuring the framework remains responsive to local conditions. The resulting insights strengthen the model's accuracy and support its adaptability for broader application across additional urban contexts. Overall, the collaboration aims to enhance local planning capacity and contribute to climate-adaptive urban development grounded in data and evidence.

Building Sector Decarbonization Roadmap in Kenya

Collaborators: State Department for Public Works (Kenya) and
Global Building Performance Network

In collaboration with the State Department of Public Works (SDoPW) and the Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN), the Open Building Insights (OBI) platform was employed to identify and analyze indicative buildings suitable for potential energy-efficiency and decarbonization interventions. By leveraging AI and geospatial analytics, OBI generated building-level insights that supported data-driven energy planning. This work contributed to the development of "Kenya's Buildings and Construction Sector Decarbonization Roadmap (2026-2040)", in which OBI was acknowledged as a key enabler of the sector's digital transformation.

Supporting Makueni County Energy Plan

Collaborator: World Resources Institute (WRI),
Strathmore Energy Research Center (SERC) and
Government of Makueni County

Open Building Insights (OBI) contributed analytical support subsequent to the development of the Makueni County Energy Plan (CEP) in Kenya. The CEP, developed by WRI Kenya in partnership with Strathmore Energy Research Center and Government of Makueni County, outlines the investment and capacity requirements necessary to achieve universal electricity access by 2030. OBI's building-classification outputs were utilized to refine the distinction between residential and non-residential structures and their associated load profiles. This enhanced delineation informed supplementary insights regarding the potential deployment of productive uses of electricity (PURE) within the County. You can read more about the County's Plan here.

Advancing Electricity Access & Consumption Forecasting

Collaborators: Open Energy Maps and
University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) team is collaborating with the Open Energy Maps (OEMaps) team and researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) to enhance building-level data by integrating modelled outputs for electricity access status and consumption forecasting. Through the LItLDF and BEACON models, the OEMaps and UMass teams have supported the estimation of electricity access status and electricity demand for millions of buildings across Kenya. The collaboration also includes training and validating these models using extensive labeled datasets, contributing to the refinement of model accuracy. This partnership strengthens OBI's ability to provide actionable insights for energy planners and policymakers, supporting more precise forecasting and better-targeted electrification strategies.

Advancing Rooftop Solar Planning through AI-Driven Insights

Collaborator: Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) team is exploring with the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) the option to enhance Solar Rooftop Potential (SRP) data for CSTEP's CREST model, with the goal of improving the robustness of rooftop solar assessments at scale. A proof of concept is being undertaken in selected urban areas in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, where updated SRP estimates are being used to assess usable rooftop area and potential solar generation. This collaboration is intended to refine methodologies for solar resource mapping and strengthen the evidence base for renewable-energy planning. Over time, the approach may offer a scalable framework to inform rooftop solar strategies across a wider set of Indian cities, supporting the broader transition toward clean, distributed energy systems.

Accelerating Rooftop Solar Deployment through Data Integration and Local Collaboration

Collaborators: Government of Maharashtra (GoM) and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) initiative is exploring with the Government of Maharashtra and MSEDCL the option to strengthen data-driven planning for rooftop solar implementation under the PM Surya Ghar program. By combining advanced AI and satellite-based analytics with the government's strong IT capabilities, OBI aims to help identify suitable rooftops, integrate property data, and prioritize locations for deployment. If applied at scale, OBI adoption can help achieve Maharashtra's renewable energy objectives through evidence-based, scalable planning and execution.

Enhancing Heat Vulnerability Assessments through High-Resolution Spatial Intelligence

Collaborator: Council of Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) team is exploring with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) the option to incorporate OBI's heat-vulnerability parameters into CEEW's Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) methodology, with the aim of enhancing spatial resolution and analytical depth. A proof of concept is being undertaken in an urban area in Maharashtra, where the integrated approach is being explored to generate more localized insights on heat risk. Findings from this collaboration are expected to support heat-action planning and broader resilience efforts. Over time, the refined methodology may offer a scalable framework for application across additional cities, contributing to more data-driven approaches to managing heat vulnerability.

Informing Campus Energy Planning with Building-Level Intelligence

Collaborator: Kenyatta University

Researchers at Kenyatta University are exploring the use of the Open Building Insights (OBI) platform to support evidence-based energy planning across the university's campus. By drawing on OBI’s detailed building-level attributes - such as footprint, rooftop area, indicative power consumption, and solar rooftop potential - the University aims to better understand energy-demand patterns and identify potential opportunities for efficiency improvements and renewable-energy integration. This engagement reflects the potential of AI-driven spatial intelligence to enhance institutional energy management and to inform targeted interventions for more sustainable campus operations.

Strengthening Urban Heat Resilience through Data-Driven Planning

Collaborator: Centre of Science and Environment (CSE)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) team is exploring with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) the option to apply OBI's heat-vulnerability parameters in identifying high risk areas and populations, which intends to improve city-level accuracy and analytical robustness for decision making. The work began with a proof of concept in an urban setting in West Bengal, where the integrated methodology is being tested and reviewed. As the collaboration progresses, including technical reviews, the refined approach is expected to be applied in additional cities and to provide a foundation for wider replication. The effort aims to strengthen urban heat-risk assessment and support more informed climate-resilience planning.

Energy Efficiency in Buildings for Makueni County

Collaborator: Strathmore Energy Research Center (SERC)

The Open Building Insights (OBI) team is exploring with the Strathmore Energy Research Center (SERC) the option to assess the applicability of OBI-derived building attributes in estimating energy-efficiency measures for various building types in Makueni County.

Acknowledgements

The Open Building Insights (OBI) initiative has been developed through the collective efforts of a broad coalition of collaborators committed to advancing open, datadriven solutions for sustainable urban and energy planning. The initiative is led by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), in collaboration with governments, research institutions, and implementation collaborators worldwide. Special recognition goes to the IBM Impact Accelerator Program, whose support and vision made this initiative possible. We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the team of bright and dedicated engineers who have continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible - transforming innovative ideas into practical tools that serve the public good.

We further recognize the contributions of our co-developers - the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Energy for Growth Hub, and Open Energy Maps - for their technical excellence and shared commitment to open, scalable solutions. We gratefully acknowledge the collaboration and insights of our collaborators: Mahila Housing Trust (MHT), University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), World Resources Institute (WRI), State Department of Public Works (Kenya), Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN), Strathmore Energy Research Centre (Kenya), Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), Kenyatta University, Government of Maharashtra, Shelter Associates (India), State Department for Industry (Kenya), Government of Makueni County, and the Kenya Space Agency.

Finally, we are deeply grateful to the broader "Community of Practice" - a network of colleagues from academia, government agencies, development organizations, private sector, think tanks, and the broader public - spanning multiple countries, with strong engagement from Kenya and India. Their ongoing dialogue, insights, and feedback have been essential in shaping the rationale behind OBI and reaffirming the need for such a solution to address real-world data and planning challenges. Everyone's engagement and technical expertise have been instrumental in ensuring that OBI remains a robust, open-access platform that empowers decision-makers and communities with spatial intelligence to advance sustainable and inclusive development.