• • • SMART BUILDINGS & IOT • • •
is in the public domain and ensures there is a common language between systems and data. It, therefore, makes it easier and more cost-effective to integrate and expand based on developing needs and technologies.
It also enables simpler integrations between
HVAC, meters, lighting, security, fire and other systems, bringing together a cohesive approach under one common language. In this age of automation, where data drives machine-based decision-making, an open BAS is crucial in realising the benefits of smart automation across buildings systems.
Utilise the cloud to connect disparate solutions
The focus on open BAS systems throws up another important consideration for connected buildings. Often the data that exists across solutions are siloed and disconnected, obscuring the bigger picture and limiting building managers to small, incremental changes that prevent them from maximising smart building investments. To reach this potential, it’s important to get below the surface level of intelligent technologies to unlock the deeper insights they can generate. This happens when we connect smart technology systems together to create an ecosystem or platform for smart solutions.
The data and insights this creates can then be analysed to make vast improvements across a building and even the whole enterprise. To make this a reality, the data needs to be connected and easily accessible in the cloud. From here, it is then possible moving up the data value ladder, unlocking the true benefits of ‘smart’. On the surface level, data can be descriptive, telling us what is happening now. It is
then possible to move up the levels; diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive and finally, the zenith of cognitive data where AI and automation come into their own.
Examine future sustainability
using digital twins With access to more data through these connected cloud systems, AI and machine learning can be harnessed to optimise building performance across myriad targets. AI-driven analytics collects building data and applies machine learning to give granular insight into building performance in real-time. This leads to opportunities to save energy and operating expenses while enhancing building environments. Such systems can also be harnessed in the creation of digital twins. These digital replicas of buildings enable the safe exploration of alternative sustainability strategies - modelling maintenance, upgrades, and sustainability decisions. For example, about 40% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide are generated by the building sector. Research from Accenture found that digital twins and related technologies can be used to cut energy use and carbon emissions in half.
Using innovation to take a
human-centric approach Talking about building tech alongside humans may sound like an oxymoron, but the two go together. Building engineers and facilities managers need to be innovative and turn to full system design while also understanding what each component in their building does. We need people in our buildings that understand the whole journey, so they can get the best out of it and make buildings truly smart.
It’s important to remember that smart technologies are not just about efficiency and sustainability. They must also work for building occupants and create environments where people can flourish. One immediately noticeable benefit to employees of smart buildings is the increased comfort, convenience and safety of data-driven buildings, from air quality to temperature and lighting.
Let’s not forget, however, that today’s workforce holds green credentials in high esteem, especially emerging talent in younger generations. If a business can demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, it can hope to become a more desirable employer while also achieving higher productivity levels.
Buildings of the future lie
in connectivity We need to stop focusing on single technological solutions, even though many of them promise to produce specific benefits. By implementing the appropriate technology now, we can alter how we use our buildings in the future. Current user demands and expectations, along with the global imperative to achieve net zero, will determine how our buildings will function in the future.
The first step in bringing this future about is connecting all of a building’s systems, including fire safety, HVAC, lighting, and security. Additionally, we need to concentrate on well- defined goals that maximise the use of powerful data tools, in-depth analytics, and human oversight. This is done in order to advance our efforts for a better tomorrow as well as to ensure that today is fantastic.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • APRIL 2023 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
