The Future of Smart Buildings
by Hector HernandezTrends come and trends go, but while they’re here they often have a profound effect on the world—and buildings—we live and work in. Most people see buildings as brick and mortar structures that accommodate offices, factories, warehouses, retail, and living spaces. But smart building technology, also called building automation, is changing the way people live and work.
Top Trends in Building Automation Systems
At its core, a building automation system improves a building’s efficiency. One way it does this is by using AI to better manage the building’s equipment and optimize energy spend. BAS controls allow operators to use mobile devices to analyze energy systems data, see trends, retain history logs, troubleshoot issues, easily schedule equipment control at a more granular level, and quickly improve occupant comfort.
Experts say these 4 trends best represent the future in building automation systems.
- Networking. Up to now, different building systems have been their own separate, closed blocks. Each had its own interface and no communication with external systems. Today, automation is finally letting diverse systems like elevators, fire alarms, access control units, and more, communicate with each other.
- Wireless. Connectivity and interaction are critical to a building automation system. Power-over-Ethernet LED lighting, light-fidelity (LiFi) networks, and HVAC units that can automatically optimize conditioning and airflow based on assorted variables are the latest innovations. In the future, equipment will, among other things, perform self-diagnostics and provide alerts when anomalies are detected.
- IoT Applications. They’re seemingly endless and emphasize service and management. They’re used for everything from energy consumption monitoring, to lighting and HVAC optimization, measuring particulate matter, and measuring occupancy and space utilization.
- Openness. More companies are now advocating open source and open platforms in a big way, providing businesses with many new opportunities. Instead of repetitive coding, the focus can be on developing increasingly better applications.
Smart Building Technology and HVAC Systems
HVAC systems perform one of the most fundamental functions of delivering comfort to building occupants. So, how do AI and machine learning affect building control system companies? In many ways, the HVAC industry has always been ahead of the curve. After all, building automation systems have been around for many years. But today it’s about figuring out how to make more systems work together to improve indoor air quality and ventilation while running much more efficient buildings.
Machine learning and IoT data have the potential to transform HVAC and building management systems. Data control engineers typically handle during installation include:
- Temperature
- Occupancy
- Precipitation
- Humidity
- Schedules
But no matter how skilled, a human’s ability to quickly process complex data is limited. Machines, though, can easily process thousands of data points from a multitude of sources, giving them the potential to make decisions far more quickly than a human could. With building energy consumption projected to increase by 50% by 2050, it’s crucial to develop and embrace energy efficiency strategies that drive down energy usage and maintenance costs while providing safer, more comfortable environments for building occupants.
Of course, the big culprit for energy use (40-70%) in buildings is HVAC systems. With demands for cooling continuing to grow, IoT data and machine learning will play a big role in keeping costs under control and lowering carbon footprints. And while all this new tech will likely force some companies out of the business, humans will always be needed to properly utilize and direct the technology behind a building automation system. Yes, it will be disruptive, but it will also facilitate today’s most desirable smart building features: convenience and control.