Data Analytics & Smart Building Science Articles | Buildings IOT Blog

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If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re considering implementing a predictive maintenance program. You have probably read about what predictive maintenance is, and you’ve most likely explored the benefits of predictive maintenance. Now, you’re likely considering what steps you’ll need to take to implement such a program. The first step, however, is to understand the challenges of implementing an effective predictive maintenance strategy so that you can devise a plan to overcome them.

In recent years, the term Predictive Maintenance has risen to prominence in a number of industries such as manufacturing and automotive. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, proactive maintenance – which includes predictive and preventive measures – has become a core pillar of the Industrial 4.0 revolution.

If you’ve been paying attention to buzzwords in the building maintenance world, chances are you’ve heard of Predictive Maintenance. In recent years, the term has risen to prominence in the industrial and manufacturing sectors regarding industrial equipment. However, the term’s implications are much broader than that. As the Internet of Things (IoT) expands across the entirety of the built environment sector, predictive maintenance is paving the way to revolutionizing how we address the maintenance needs of building systems and equipment.

Energy has always been a significant expense in commercial buildings and improving energy efficiency with Energy Management efforts has long been an important way to keep costs in check.

Organizations increasingly turn to smart buildings to drive energy efficiency, productivity, occupant comfort, and environmental impact. While this has created great opportunities, it also introduces new vulnerabilities. A security-first approach that includes a data encryption strategy is essential to protect occupants, employees, and the building itself. By understanding data encryption benefits, you can create a robust security solution that keeps your assets safe. 

Innovation in our daily lives has introduced us to the capabilities of technology. And for those of us working in the built environment, it has introduced a number of what-ifs about the capabilities of buildings. As we drive to work in our vehicle that brakes for us to avoid a collision, automatically adjusts the air conditioning to each driver’s preference, and automatically turns on the headlights when it’s raining, we begin to wonder how buildings can implement such intelligence to curb carbon emissions, improve occupant experience, and cut operational inefficiencies and costs. But buildings are complex, much more complex than a modern vehicle. Each one with thousands of data points on thousands of devices and equipment, all with their own technologies, vendors, building management system protocols, and networks.

Building equipment plays a critical role in moment-to-moment operations. Without properly functioning equipment, myriad problems could arise. Think about how employee productivity could be affected if the HVAC system is not operating at full capacity, or stopped working completely. A single piece of equipment can have far-reaching effects across an entire enterprise.

The saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is often espoused when things are ostensibly performing well. However, this reactive mentality is short-sighted and often leads to premature equipment failure, emergency repair and replacement costs, and significant disruption for building occupants. A smart BMS control system allows you to take a truly proactive, modern approach that extends the useful life of your equipment and supports optimal performance.

The building sector offers plenty of opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that cost-effective technologies have the potential to cut down building energy usage by more than 20% by 2030. Building energy management through Internet-of-Things (IoT) is one of the most effective ways to integrate, optimize, and control energy consumption by various systems in a smart building. With a smart building platform that enables IoT energy management, building owners, facility managers, and other stakeholders can adopt a strategic approach to reduce electricity bills in a building.