How Facility Managers Can Get Easy Access To Data To Make Buildings Smarter
By Kieran Murphy, Founder, ZiggyTec.
Much is written about technology and how the digital revolution has changed our lives for the better. Technology has changed our perception of the world around us and the way we interact with it. It has touched every aspect of our lives – from communication to healthcare to transport and practically any other industry.
Technology has transformed our workplace from a mere structure to a ‘smart’ building. The popularity of smart building technologies is at an all-time high, making it simple for one to obtain information via sensors and use it to improve performance based on selected parameters. This data can then be converted into insights that can be used to make well-informed decisions.
At the heart of all digital transformation lies data. Based on just how important it is, it’s also vital that the data we extract must be accurate and easy to understand. This is where automation comes in.
How Data Can Transform A Building Into A Smart Building
As per a study done by Johnson Controls (2021), 99% of the facilities decision makers believed smart buildings to be advantageous, with many of them mentioning that smart buildings will play a vital role in their future working practices.
Smart buildings make compliance and understanding patterns easy. Gone are the days when one would take a clipboard and manually go around a building to check meters, note down readings, and try to understand consumption patterns. Today, all of this data can be accessed on a dashboard with the click of a button.
With rapid innovation, you can now automatically obtain real-time data about, say, how much electricity your building is using, whether your air quality is poor, which desks in your office are occupied, or even whether your taps are in compliance with legionella control.
In 2006, Clive Humby famously said, “Data is the new oil”. As valuable as it is, data means nothing if you can’t extract something useful from it. By using smart services that can give you access to real-time data or monthly reports focusing on vital parameters, you can generate actionable insights that can help you in multiple ways.
Real-World Applications
Sensors can now be attached with minimal disruption and transmit data through an independent IoT network, which can be accessed in real-time. The real world applications of this data for making your building smarter are plentiful.
For instance, using utility monitoring services can help you obtain data on electricity, water, and gas usage. It can further help you understand consumption patterns, detect wastage, and even make decisions, such as when your HVAC systems must be powered up.
Yet another instance is to combat a growing concern – indoor air quality (IAQ). With discrete sensors placed around your building, you can monitor temperature and humidity, along with CO2, Volatile Organic Compounds, and PM 2.5 levels. By monitoring IAQ, one can understand whether or not their ventilation and filtration systems are effective and make changes accordingly.
A recent innovative use of real-time smart data is to do with compliance standards. For example, legionella is a type of bacteria found in our water systems that can cause Legionnaires Disease. Through IoT technology, a clamp-on system can give accurate readings on the water temperature in real time and alerts when there are instances of non-compliance.
Another popular application of smart solutions is hot desking. As COVID-19 has made hybrid working commonplace, one must know how many desks or particular areas are used more often. This sort of information can help understand if there’s an underutilised space which can come into consideration when making lease renewal decisions and implementing smart cleaning solutions.
Smart Buildings For A Smarter Future
With the advent of technology, it’s only a matter of time before every building becomes a smart building. As per Insider Intelligence, ‘the number of smart buildings worldwide is projected to climb from 45 million this year to 115 million in 2026, an increase of more than 150%, as demand grows for secure, energy-efficient developments’.
The benefits are numerous, and the process is easy. With technology, you can make your building comfortable, safe, and resource-efficient. All you need to do is sign up for the smart revolution.
For more information please contact us today or visit: ZiggyTec.com
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