Posts about:
Anyone who understands IT knows how valuable centralized networks can be. They allow for greater control over systems and help both systems and people collaborate better, opening up new possibilities never before realized.
It’s tempting to compare a fully operational building to a living organism. It’s a common metaphor, and it’s easy to see why. Both have complex structures with myriad components, all working in their own specialized way while simultaneously affecting each other. Communication between these components is vital to the well-being of the organism.
When building owners are looking to cut costs, the first place they often look is energy spend. And that makes sense: energy is an enormous expenditure in commercial buildings. But energy savings aren’t the only way to reduce costs. What’s more, many of the same mechanisms and tools used to reduce energy use—including system integration and advanced building analytics—can be used to identify other cost reduction opportunities.
On July 18, 2015, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) shut down. It happened on a Wednesday, lasting nearly four hours, from 11:30 in the morning until 3:10 in the afternoon. All trading came to a halt, leaving traders on the floor twiddling their thumbs until just before the closing bell. On the same day, the Wall Street Journal’s website crashed and United Airlines grounded flights globally for nearly two hours due to technical problems, with many suspecting a coordinated cyberattack. Though the cause turned out not to be malicious, the root of these failures was no less troubling.
Ensuring government buildings function day in and day out is a complex task. That’s why intelligent automation in government buildings is critical for alleviating the challenges of conventional building automation systems (BASs).
The late 1980s saw a transformation in architecture, as a humble Kansas City architect named Bob Berkebile sought to convince the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to become more environmentally conscious. Wanting to move architects toward designing structures that reduced their impact on the environment, Berkebile approached the AIA’s board of directors about forming a committee to study how the industry could better address these issues.
Today, there is a lot of talk in the commercial building industry about advanced analytics. As new analytics providers offer facilities managers solutions to maintain thermal comfort for all occupants while also keeping their energy consumption reasonable, the fact remains that not all solutions are created equal. If your tenants are complaining about the temperature or their high energy bills or both, consider upgrading to an advanced analytics system.
Motel 6’s “We’ll leave the light on for you” slogan spoke to the hospitality of the brand, but it could also apply to two main libraries on the University of California at Berkeley campus thanks to their newly installed smart lighting system. The new system gives facility managers the ability to control and automate anything from a single fixture to entire circuits, allowing them to curb energy usage and reduce waste. In the Doe Library, fluorescent lighting shuts off during daylight hours when skylights can provide natural lighting. Using a web interface, Berkeley’s Moffitt Library now regulates lighting according to holidays, exams, and other nuances of the university’s academic year. Facility managers can control lighting on a customizable schedule, using a software scheduling application that is accessible via a web portal and allows overrides for when cleaning crews are on premises.
The investment in a next-generation building automation system is no longer a luxury or even a differentiator: it’s a must-have. Tenants and occupants demand the convenience and health and wellness benefits that come from automated controls and management. Automation is key to reducing energy costs and increasing productivity, but only when features are integrated and used correctly.
Key performance indicators, or KPIs, are critical for teams to track the performance of their commercial building’s operational systems. Gathering and understanding data around areas such as energy efficiency, maintenance, air quality, and security are essential for implementing building operation improvement strategies.
Contact Us