With the introduction of post Covid 19 building norms, it has become more arduous for an asset and building manger to handle and run facilities under his jurisdiction with efficiency and on a sustainable cost. Already limited options available for the efficient and intelligent usage of available energy resources, while, reducing and managing peak hour usage, he can easily manage facilities running cost and can contribute to balance sheet at the end of the year with a smart building solution.
Smart Building Solutions as an integrated system working along with BMS (Building Management System) empowers a building manager to take action and manage HVAC, lighting and other facilities in building according to trends and data received from an installed BMS.
What is a smart building and why it is needed to manage facilities running cost?
In a nutshell, smart building is a digitization of building with respect to all its facilities integrated and controlled from a command center known as BMS. By reducing carbon emission around 15%, a smart building can save up to 25% on energy costs. Utilizing advanced technology, a smart building offers multitude of benefits to a building owner in addition to energy efficiency and cost cutting.
Optimizes building performance in fields of energy efficiency, ambience, operations, comfort and security.
Powered with AI and digitization, it reduces the cost of operations, services and installation with improved occupants satisfaction rates.
It seamlessly unifies and integrates important utilities like fire protection, climate control, ventilation, lighting, surveillance into a single system
Fuse important building systems like air conditioning, heating and ventilation with Building Internet of Things (BIoT) to be managed remotely with the help of data driven feeds.
Thus, a smart building facilitated with data from sensors offers a seamless and real time control across entire building, irrespective of its being a government run entity, or a huge commercial venture. It provides an intelligent brain to a building working around the clock for energy efficiency, occupants security & comfort and a grid’s consistency. The role of a smart building system is merely not limited only to serve the causes of only its occupants, its importance further extends when community utilities like air-quality monitors, solar panels, traffic tracking and other smart devices are placed on its roof and on top floors.
How a smart building idea is being realized and works on ground?
Working of smart building depends upon its capacity to intelligently process information received from different streams and take an action based upon insights generated from the data. It is like working of our brain that reacts to every bit of information passed by our sensory organs to it. A typical working of an integrated smart building system is consisted of following steps:
The important input data is collected by sensors from utility systems like HVAC, lighting, ventilation, air filters and others.
The collected data is from their is transformed to Building Management System that acts as command center.
The Analytical software at BMS reads the trend of the different data streams and report them to facilities managers.
On the basis of data report received from BMS, facilities managers take actions
With the inputs and trends received from an integrated BMS, a building manger can take following action to maximize building efficiency for saving energy and architectural cost of office or commercial complex.
For best energy utilization during peak occupancy period he can set:-
HVAC system to shut off as occupants leave the building each day or begin cooling the building just before occupants arrive.
Lighting system for to turn on in response to occupant movement.
Door access system to recognize employees using a badge to enter building after hours, which could turn on the AC and lighting just in their work area.
Can assist drivers in finding a parking space.
An integrated BMS working collaboratively as an intelligent software with the help of data feeds received from different facilities across a smart building is a crucial initiative towards saving energy costs and sustainability for contemporary building complex. A smart building creates energy efficient comfort zones for building occupants including employees and guest in low-cost. Its need is imminent for energy conservation and sustainability in addition to reducing cost on power usage.