What is a smart building and what technologies do it use?

Regarding intelligence, it seems that a new term is described every day, such as smartphones, smart cars, smart buildings and smart cities.

But what really makes something smart is the technology that powers it. In today's "smart era", the construction industry is leveraging smart building technology to create a better built environment.

This article will learn more about what smart buildings are, what technologies are used, and some examples of smart buildings around the world.

What is a smart building?

A smart building is a building equipped with innovative materials and technologies that allow all its systems to automate and self-regulate. By using technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart buildings aim to increase a building's usability, optimize its efficiency, and enhance its safety and accessibility, while making it more sustainable and environmentally conscious.

A simple example: Smart buildings help optimize energy consumption in buildings by integrating sensors to control temperature and manage power.

This is especially useful in less occupied buildings or during non-working hours. Data collected from the building's sensors is interpreted by software, allowing for predictive maintenance based on pre-established criteria. This will also significantly reduce monthly expenses related to building energy consumption.

Technology behind smart buildings

The combination of certain technologies is what differentiates smart buildings from standard buildings. Learn more about how these technologies are making buildings smarter.

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Building Information Model
• Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
• Internet of Things
• Interconnected System
• Sensors
• Automation

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a general term that describes machines that simulate human intelligence. This includes tasks such as language processing, problem solving, and machine learning, which refers to algorithm-based computer systems that can learn from data without programming.

According to a 2020 McKinsey report, as global construction spending increases, so do solutions incorporating artificial intelligence technology. There are many benefits to using AI solutions at different stages of the construction value chain: design, bidding, financing, materials management, etc.

Artificial intelligence can use its predictive capabilities to reduce costs, better manage labor, prevent risks, enhance project planning, and monitor job sites during and after construction.

Building Information Model

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a method of processing large amounts of information and data to improve the efficiency of building planning, design, construction and management.

BIM is a key part of the digital transformation of the construction industry, helping to make buildings smarter as it promotes more sustainable, precise, collaborative, communicative and safer infrastructure.

Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies allow designers, architects and engineers to envision projects before they are completed, here’s why Reasons why smart buildings are often built using these revolutionary technologies.

Additionally, blueprints can be programmed in 3D and overlaid onto the current project site to visualize otherwise non-obvious or undetectable elements and predict future phases of the construction project.

AR and VR allow workers to clearly navigate complex structures or unfamiliar environments easily and at a lower cost than other capital-intensive technologies.

That’s not all, AR and VR can also be integrated into buildings for post-construction entertainment purposes! The applications for these technologies in homes and offices are endless. It is well worth considering applying AR/VR to the office, which can not only improve efficiency but also enjoy entertainment.

IoT

When looking at how smart buildings operate, the Internet of Things always stands out. But what is it? How does it work?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a set of network-enabled smart devices that use embedded systems such as processors, sensors, and communications software to collect, send, and process data acquired from the environment.

While people are free to interact with the software, set up and access their data, human intervention is not 100% necessary. The Internet of Things combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can help improve the efficiency and difficulty of data collection.

While IoT is considered a new technology, it is not unique to new construction projects. Existing buildings can be retrofitted with IoT technology and become “smart” by adding a variety of smart devices, such as sensors that regulate lighting and temperature, security systems, telecommunications equipment, and IT software.

Connected Systems

Many buildings already use smart technology in their facilities to control specific areas within their structures, but this does not mean that they have received “smart building” recognition. The next step in achieving this goal is to ensure that all smart building solutions are integrated and data processing software is properly implemented to maximize building efficiency.

There is no need for a centralized platform to ensure the functionality of all smart systems, but having a single user interface and dashboard to monitor, control and identify inefficiencies across all systems integrated into the platform empowers building owners and facilities coordinators are easier to manage and analyze.

Sensors

Sensors play a very important role when building smart buildings. It helps enable building managers and integrated systems to correctly collect the required amount of data to maximize efficiency and make informed decisions to properly allocate resources.

Automation

No data is wasted. Smart buildings continuously collect information that must be automatically analyzed by the system in real time. This continuous monitoring requires automatic adjustments to control and optimize conditions throughout the building.

Purpose of Smart Building

Today, smart building projects are becoming more and more common in the global construction industry. In order to reduce the environmental impact and energy consumption of buildings, many large and medium-sized cities require commercial building owners to disclose their green building performance.

By adopting modern control and automation technologies, smart building solutions can:

• Produce significant energy saving effects;
• Promote sustainable development and protect the environment;
• Improve the health, safety and quality of life of residents.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Buildings

But like everything, smart buildings have advantages and disadvantages.

Benefits

In addition to making buildings more energy efficient and self-regulating, here are five benefits that should be considered when designing smart buildings:

• Reduce Energy consumption and increased efficiency - By integrating smart sensors at different locations, the energy consumption of lighting and temperature control systems can be significantly reduced, as they will only work when needed. This maximizes the building’s resource efficiency, eliminates in-office fights over thermostats, and reduces the building’s electricity bill and carbon emissions.
• Get better insights and visualizations through big data – These buildings are collecting huge amounts of data all the time. Armed with this information, smart buildings can identify trends and discover optimization opportunities, allowing decision makers to make informed data-driven decisions.
• Predictive Maintenance – Systems in a building may experience unseen failures from time to time that may go unnoticed and cause major deficiencies in the future. Smart technology in buildings allows these faults to be quickly detected, helping to understand why they occurred and prioritizing which problems to fix first. In other words, it’s prevention in advance.
• Better Utilization of Space – Smart buildings are designed to make residents’ experiences more enjoyable and seamless. Especially after 2020, when we are all acutely aware of space constraints, smart spaces consider how to raise standards and comply with health and safety regulations while maintaining profitability.
• Better Building Value - There is no doubt that the market value of a smart building increases once it implements all the appropriate smart technologies. A study by Fortune Business Insight predicts that smart building revenue in North America alone will reach $34.2 billion by 2026, and global smart building revenue is expected to reach $127.09 billion by 2027. During the period 2020-2027, the compound annual growth rate will reach 12.5%.

Disadvantages

Still, it’s not without its challenges. For those who are not fully immersed in IoT technology, understanding IoT technology and its integration can be a daunting task.

When deciding to go smart, the first step is to become familiar with the different technologies available and how they integrate with each other.

Similarly, as IoT technology and cloud connectivity become more implemented and accepted, smart buildings become more vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. Unexpected security breaches can affect multiple functions of a smart building, rendering it inoperable in the most extreme cases.

Fortunately, with the Internet of Things booming across multiple industries, cybersecurity has become one of the top priorities for many businesses, making it easier to protect data and avoid major security outbreaks.

Examples of smart buildings around the world

1-The Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany

The home of Bayern Munich football club uses a series of sensors and based Cloud analytics to track the health of the grass on the course and make recommendations. From controlling the irrigation system to combining acoustic cameras with sound mapping to study fan reactions to key moments of the match, the Allianz Arena is a model for smart architecture in Germany.

2- Apple Park in Cupertino, California

Apple Park’s rotunda is not an architect’s favorite, but the building is the most energy-efficient in the world one of the buildings. It is powered entirely by renewable energy, through solar panels installed on the roof, generating 17 megawatts of energy. This is one of the largest energies of any solar roof.

3- Crystal Tower in London, UK

The Crystal Tower is equipped with an advanced building management system that monitors every kilowatt of electricity consumption. Solar roof panels generate approximately 20% of the electricity, and its system strictly monitors energy consumption. As a result, Crystal Tower’s carbon emissions are 70% lower than other office buildings in the UK.

4- Burj Khalifa in Dubai

The Burj Khalifa is not only the tallest building in the world, it is also at the forefront of innovation and is known as one of the smartest and most sustainable buildings. It comes with a variety of smart building solutions that improve air quality, lighting and temperature for residents. The building's automation system captures data in real time through algorithms that identify errors and maintenance issues. This helps facility managers improve building maintenance and asset reliability.

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