Infrastructure giant Balfour Beatty is to expand its deployment of technology that can manage power use at its sites and, it’s hoped, cut carbon emissions in the process.

The system, dubbed EcoNet, has been developed alongside two other companies, Sunbelt Rentals U.K. and Invisible Systems.

In a statement Monday, Balfour Beatty said the system worked by “controlling and reducing the energy output from key appliances in cabins, such as those in kitchens, drying rooms and office spaces.”

The tech, it added, had been “configured to autonomously manage power demand by automatically turning appliances and equipment off when not in active use.”

In terms of how construction sites are powered, Balfour Beatty said this was done through the use of diesel generators or by hooking a site up to the National Grid.

The hope is that by “limiting unnecessary usage,” EcoNet can lower demand on the grid or the generators, which will in turn help to cut emissions.

The system was initially used by the firm in May of this year at a project in northern England. It has been rolled out to 21 sites to date. The plan is to introduce the technology to 50 “live sites” by next summer, and for it to be used at any new U.K.-based site home to more than six cabins.

A huge sector, with emissions to match

As a whole, the built environment is responsible for a significant amount of emissions. 

According to a report from the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, International Energy Agency and the UN Environment Programme, building construction and operations were, globally, responsible for 36% of final energy use in 2018.

Keep reading on CNBC.com