5 use cases of your Smart Building project

Today, many buildings integrate intelligent equipment and sensors: IoT sensors, HVAC equipment, lighting, etc. Described as 'flexible', 'connected' and 'interoperable', the intelligent building will efficiently retrieve this data and respond, through automation, to the efficiency and comfort needs of the occupants. Eventually, it is expected to be self-managing. While energy management is one of the current challenges, security, operational management and occupant well-being are also strong attributes of smart buildings.

Thanks to the Smart Building :

 I) You promote intelligent energy consumption 

Smart buildings are the cornerstone of the energy transition in buildings, and a smart building must be able to reduce its carbon footprint and energy costs.

A smart building must be able to reduce its carbon footprint and energy costs. An intelligent energy management system, combined with IoT sensors that monitor your consumption 24 hours a day, will provide you with :

• Real-time, detailed visualisation of your building's consumption
• Key indicators to help you make decisions
• An intuitive interface to control your equipment and optimise their operation

The data collected allows you to understand which equipment uses the most energy, to analyse consumption and to better control your energy expenditure.

This is a small step for the building industry, but a big step towards the actions needed to finally reduce its energy impact and comply with increasingly strict regulations on energy efficiency (a subject that will be discussed in more detail in a future article).

II) You maintain an open and interoperable system 

Today, the majority of buildings are fixed and anchored in closed systems. Data from all equipment including IoT sensors, however disparate, needs to be collected, analysed and exploited.

But that is not all. Beyond retrieving data representing the state of the building, your intelligent building allows data to be shared in a uniform format with business applications (CMMS, Hypervision, etc.)

The key? An "intelligent" solution that can be connected to all types of equipment, and that brings many advantages to technical building management by improving, in fine, operations and maintenance. 

III) You improve the quality of life of the occupants in the building

As a "Workplace as a Service", your intelligent building aims to improve the comfort of its occupants. It puts people back at the centre of attention by collecting real-time data about the user experience.  The connection of data offers the opportunity: 

• adjust the temperature of the room
• adjust the intensity of the lighting, or
• improve the air quality according to the occupancy of the room.

This data is the source for creating new personalised services that respond to the needs and demands of users. For example, an application that allows users to manage their working environment remotely by booking a meeting room or adjusting the room temperature.

 IV) You protect the data in your buildings

A smart building produces a lot of data that is susceptible to various attacks. So imagine if malicious actors not only had access to your data, but could also take control of your equipment?

The use of smart building solutions with advanced cybersecurity features makes sense.

 V) You protect your physical buildings

Smart Building also means enhanced building access control through wireless access management systems. A smart security system relies on the integration of devices based on new technologies such as biometrics, IoT, dematerialised authorisation with the use of smartphones, etc.

These technologies for security are evolutions of traditional security systems: 

• Smart cameras combined with video analysis for facial recognition
• Connected locks
• Systems capable of detecting intrusions into restricted areas and alerting relevant stakeholders

Their strengths? Offer 24-hour connectivity to report intrusions or break-ins in real time and without human intervention.