Inefficiency identification
With an IoT-based system, there is a lot of data accrued—and more importantly, analyzed—that would otherwise go to waste. That building data can be used to spot inefficiencies, pinpoint the high-performing buildings that can be emulated, and standardize the building portfolio. The ability to identify one building that consistently uses more energy via the HVAC system can be invaluable in strengthening the bottom line, especially when facilities may be operating with a skeleton crew during periods of low occupancy.
Multi-property management
It is important to not only understand a building’s day-to-day status, but also have a baseline for their operational norm. Without digitally connected buildings, it is difficult to identify the baseline, and various assumptions are made. Especially when bringing new buildings into the portfolio, owners might take data from one optimized building and assume it is the same across all other facilities in their portfolio—when in reality, they are not nearly as efficient. Connecting all the points in a building, and between structures, enables better utilization, efficiency, and cost-savings. It can also help to expose mistakes made, like optimizing comfort of one individual that fights with overall operations benchmarks, making cost and energy consumption ultimately higher.
Occupant comfort and building health intelligence
It is important to maintain a healthy building environment for staff and tenants, particularly in times like these, when the stakes are significantly higher. Certain IoT-based digital services—integrated with the building BMS—built to monitor workplace occupancy and comfort, allow building managers and occupants alike to understand all the factors at play in the pursuit of health. How many other individuals are occupying the space, how long ago a conference room was cleaned, how many people have sat at a desk before you. These tools also make a space more attractive to prospective tenants, bringing in more revenue in a time when it is sorely needed.
Facilities team health and safety
A digital building is also able to properly maintain the frequency of air volume transfer, and gauge when a space needs cleaning by maintenance staff—possibly eliminating further human contact if in fact the room or floor has not even been occupied. The IoT and remote monitoring capabilities may even allow facilities management and maintenance teams to stay in the safety of their own home for the majority of their workday, minimizing potential contact and spread of germs, and saving the building owner money.
The bottom line
Ultimately, it does come down to cost. Can an IoT-based system save an owner money? Can the installation be done efficiently and effectively? Can the investment in a digital building actually help a sale make more money? The answer to all of these questions is yes. As long as an analytics platform is built into the property ecosystem, and all work is done using an IP infrastructure, they will be set up for success. That success will not just be seen five years down the line when the building is finally recommissioned. A digitally connected building, using digital twins, fault detection, and analytics will be able to monitor buildings from day one all the way through day 1001. No building operates the same every single day (and nor do its occupants); using these tools will help building owners identify issues instantaneously—or even before they happen—saving time and money.
Take, for example, the utility of the IoT in a hospital the author’s company recently worked with. During the design process, the specifying team tested all technologies that were to be used in the hospital, prior to installation. During this testing process, it was discovered the chosen real-time location system (RTLS) was running on a very similar frequency as the chosen lighting control system, causing both systems to go haywire. Since both of those systems were digitally enabled, the team was able to identify the problem immediately. The chosen lighting system was switched out in the small number of test cases, so incompatible technologies were not ultimately rolled out to 504 hospital rooms—and 504 sets of incompatible technologies were not purchased in the first place. Now, that is the power of a construction design professional in today’s digital buildings.
Jeremy McCullough, LEED GA, is EcoStruxure Business Development Manager for Schneider Electric. With over 16 years of experience in building and energy management, he is responsible for managing the company’s relationships with consulting engineers with the goal of helping them design intelligent, integrated buildings using Schneider Electric’s latest building management system (BMS) platform, EcoStruxure. McCullough holds a BS in Business Computer Information Systems from the University of North Texas.
