Title: Transforming Building Energy Management with Smart Solutions

Transforming Building Energy Management with Smart Solutions

From the daily operations of commercial establishments to the comfort of our homes, buildings play a vital role in our lives. However, the energy consumption associated with these buildings has significant environmental implications. In fact, buildings represent 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions^(1^). This is mainly attributed to the inefficient use of energy in HVAC systems, responsible for the major portion of emissions. This calls for a momentous shift in building energy management to mitigate the environmental impact.

The Shift

The shift is already happening, driven by technology and innovation. The paradigm is moving from the traditional analog to digital, from manual operations to remote control, from reliance on historical data to real-time information processing. Above all, research, trial, and error have given way to the utilization of Machine Learning and AI.

Why Smart Building Solutions?

Safety:  Smart building solutions provide a safe working environment and asset protection through real-time monitoring and automated safety protocols.

Sustainability: These systems contribute to CO2 reduction and are future-ready for the transition to a net-zero carbon footprint.

Wellness: Smart buildings promote a healthy environment by ensuring occupant comfort and convenience.

Efficiency: They optimize energy consumption and the efficient use of resources, reducing operational costs.

Connectivity: Intelligent components come with robust cybersecurity measures, preventing software vulnerabilities and ensuring data privacy.

Flexibility: Smart building solutions are easily adaptable and scalable to meet evolving needs.

The Challenge

The digital revolution also brings with it a new set of challenges. How do you connect anything, anywhere, and offer value, moving from siloed systems to a more interoperable ecosystem? The world of simple defined networks is evolving into a complex and flexible landscape of undefined networks.

Each system today operates in silos with separate controllers, servers, user interfaces, and configuration tools. This results in increased complexity and a corresponding increase in capital and operational expenditures. More than ever, there is a need to break these silos, the so-called SILO breakers, and transition to a unified journey inside the building.

One Operating System to Rule them All

Welcome to the world of openBOS (open Building Operating System) that allows integration of IoT data in applications which operate at lower costs and with a unified user experience. It has an API interface with structured information on zones and assets, feeding any 3rd Cloud/AI system. By focusing on human-oriented spaces, we can unify data and usages while using a semantic and information model.

Mapping, optimizing and continuous improvement

The system works by connecting to your existing HVAC system through the Building Management System (BMS). It maps, learns and deploys algorithms. It optimizes in real-time by taking external information into account. Finally, it continues to learn more about the building’s thermal behavior and makes real-time optimizations. This continuous learning and adaptation make the system more efficient over time.

Conclusion

As the world gears up to build another New York City every month for the next 40 years, significant innovation and disruption in building energy management systems are necessary to meet global climate goals^(2^). With tangible benefits in safety, sustainability, wellness, efficiency, connectivity, and flexibility, Smart Building Solutions are an integral part of this journey forward. In working towards a Digital, Remote and AI-driven future, we stand to revolutionize not just how buildings operate, but also how we live and work in them.

^(1^) “Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction”

^(2^) “New UN-backed report finds ‘dramatic’ climate changes”

Scroll to Top