Sustainability
The above-mentioned rise in electricity consumption has affected and will continue to impact regulations to address energy consumption in cities around the world, such as the aforementioned EU directive. As sustainability becomes a core value for businesses, this value extends into the workspaces of organizations and directly impacts the desire for eco-friendly buildings.
IoT
The IoT industry is growing rapidly, and IoT solutions are becoming more affordable and accessible. By 2020, more than 30 billion devices could be connected to the Internet. IoT is creating opportunities for real-time optimization and forecasting with machines offering valuable analytics. Disruptions resulting from technology are bringing golden opportunities to create new requirements for buildings, enabling their owners to realize better efficiencies throughout the design, construction, and operation stages.
The value of IoT
The need for more connected, resource-efficient, and smart buildings will become increasingly apparent as the current infrastructure continues to age. In the case of buildings, a well-designed IoT system can be used to gather and analyze data on current conditions and required maintenance to better identify urgent needs. This can prevent long-term damage, improve energy efficiency, increase workplace satisfaction, etc.
In the Edge, where systems throughout the building are connected to a central IoT-enabled architecture and platform, HVAC and room climate control systems are integrated to allow facility managers to proactively monitor, measure, and control temperature and energy use. Further, the connected lighting systems actively respond to motion, outside light, temperature, and infrared, adjusting their output accordingly to reduce energy use and improve the office environment.
Data from one equipment manufacturer reveals commercial buildings waste about 30 percent of the energy it consumes, and this typically happens through insulation, HVAC, lighting, windows, and chimney exhaust. Over a building’s lifetime, 75 percent of its costs go to maintenance and operating expenses. Data from a 2016 SmartMarket Report on global green building trends reveals in new commercial green buildings, operating costs decrease eight to nine percent in one year and up to 15 percent in five years. As efficiency and sustainability in buildings become even more important, those that have smart and connected solutions integrated into their systems from the outset will become more desirable and yield significant cost savings for owners.
The Edge is a strong case study for the potential of IoT, and it offers key insights for architects and engineers. Heralded as one of the most sustainable buildings in the world, it contains a multitude of IoT sensors integrated into a single data-analysis platform tracking everything from energy use to when the coffee machines need to be refilled. As mentioned previously, the building was specifically designed to harness solar power. This is part of the reason it was awarded a high sustainability score from BREEAM.
When considering ways to implement IoT and other smart technologies, it is critical to know what the ultimate use for the building will be and its potential tenants. The IoT sensors integrated into an office building will be vastly different from those for a hospital or a condominium.
While there is an appetite for smart buildings, it has yet to reach mainstream practice. According to a 2017 report by Navigant Research, “IoT for Intelligent Buildings,” the global IoT market for intelligent buildings is “expected to grow from $6.3 billion in 2017 to $22.2 billion in 2026.”
Often, as in the case of the Edge, an anchor tenant who sees the long-term value of IoT, has a larger budget covering the increased initial cost, and intends to remain in the building long-term to recover that cost and it might be the driving factor in incorporating IoT into a building. The organization may have goals for sustainability, energy efficiency, employee satisfaction, or any number of other factors that might lead them to want IoT in the building. In fact, client demand is the top driver for green buildings; demand jumped to 40 percent in 2014 from 35 percent in 2012.
In cases where there is no anchor tenant driving the demand, architects and designers can still integrate capabilities for future occupants. Many building equipment, including HVAC, is now available with IoT technology integrated at the manufacturing plant. Additionally, as many IoT-enabled devices are not much different in cost to install from typical wired legacy devices and traditional systems, several designers are looking to IoT-enabled options, whether or not the ‘smart’ function will be used immediately.
