Whether you’re beginning a new construction project, or retrofitting an existing building, Smart Building Design is a “must do” consideration. While Smart Building Design elements, such as LED lighting and updated, efficient HVAC equipment, is a natural move towards energy savings, the backbone of the entire operation lies in the success of the Smart Building Management System (SBMS).
An SBMS allows building owners to monitor, maintain, and manage the mechanical and electrical functions within a facility. These systems manage heat, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security, and safety operations, all through the use of sensors, software, networks and a cloud-based data store.
From past to present
In the past, the upfront installation cost of a Building Management System was too steep for many commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities and they were rarely utilized. Now, technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) are being used to drive costs down, enhance the original system capabilities, and make Smart Building Management Systems a real possibility.
IoT describes the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data. With low-powered networks and inexpensive sensors, SBMS offer a cost-effective way to notably reduce energy consumption in commercial and industrial buildings.
The benefits of a Smart Building Management System
Intel’s Solution Brief on Smart Building Management describes in detail the capabilities and benefits of an SBMS in:
Public Spaces: An SBMS avoids unnecessary heating and cooling in public areas based on the preferences and behavior of the occupants and predictive capabilities of the system.
Conference Rooms: After an analysis of the building systems, an SBMS can be configured to turn equipment on/off throughout the day to minimize energy consumption.
A successful SMBS can also include:
– Automated Scheduling: for lighting and air conditioning systems to turn on/off for offices, conference rooms, and classrooms.
– Electricity Sharing: when multiple organizations share a building, an SMBS can calculate each organization’s energy usage and charge the corresponding cost to the associated financial department. This becomes especially important considering the influx of mixed use building projects nationwide.
– Energy Saving Management: energy saving units can be used to measure progress towards achieving energy efficiency goals. An SBMS can monitor these units, providing an alarm, and create scheduling functions to help building managers better understand their energy consumption, and formulate conservation plans.
In a retrofit project within an existing building, an SBMS can even coordinate the operation of both new and old equipment by running efficient equipment more frequently, and using old equipment only when needed.
Also, by analyzing data and reporting within the cloud, managers can better understand occupant behavior and schedules, making changes as needed to better use the energy available. The range of capabilities that a building manager has the power to utilize with a system like this is a bit scary! It’s another example of technological advancement at its finest. The overall goal of an SBMS aligns with EarthTronics to a T: making buildings positive and productive spaces for users, while supporting environmentally friend practices at the same time.
An efficient SBMS, coupled with efficient equipment, and energy saving LED lighting solutions, spells out big savings for commercial, industrial, and institutional building projects. Take advantage of our environmentally friendly and affordable bulbs and fixtures today by checking out our LED products.
Need some help identifying the lighting needs of your next project? Contact an EarthTronics professional and we point you in the right direction right away.