Integrated Building Services Help To Achieve Net Zero
Time and time again we hear about the challenge of integration within the building industry. Multiple vendors and several systems for different purposes often cause issues as they can’t communicate with one another, therefore data is siloed, repetition is rife and running and maintaining the building becomes very complex.
This coupled with IoT becoming commonplace in most commercial buildings means even more connectivity and often siloed systems and devices exist. Of course, the purpose of these devices and systems are to improve the experience for occupants and also reveal insights so that the building can run more efficiently. However, if integration between devices is missing then they can become more of a hindrance than a help.
We predict that partnership and collaboration with key stakeholders across the industry will be a strong theme in 2022 and will help to overcome these integration issues. Historically, the industry has been quite closed and reluctant to partner, but this has changed over the past couple of years. Partnerships can enable companies to fast-track their roadmap by utilising existing complementary solutions rather than creating their own from scratch. This allows integration to happen more seamlessly and improves the experience for the installer, the client but most importantly can make solutions more environmentally friendly.
As we all know, we are facing a climate crisis and it is estimated that 75% of Europe’s building stock is considered energy inefficient (European Commission). Governments around the world are setting ambitious targets to reduce the speed of climate change and ensure the average global temperature doesn't rise above 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial times. Buildings and their construction together account for 36% of global energy use and 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to the United Nations Environment Program.
Less than 1% of today's buildings in Europe are considered net-zero carbon, according to a WRI report on accelerating decarbonisation.
Smart technology has a big role to play in helping to decarbonise our buildings, however the issues mentioned at the start surrounding integration, often cause the construction industry to choose tried and tested methods. Therefore, it raises the question could system and device integration help us achieve net zero buildings?
They certainly provide more meaningful data. The various data sources can be converged and sent to an analytics platform which then presents this information in a user-friendly format for the facility manager who can then act upon the insights efficiently. In flagship projects this has dramatically saved energy, small changes amount to big results. It is clear we cannot rely on human reaction all the time; we can't expect every person to remember to turn the light off as they leave a room; this must be automated. The good news is that great technology solutions already exist that solve these issues.
Our partner, Metrikus, state:
“In order to reach net zero, companies need to reduce their emissions as much as possible (by 90%) and offset the rest. To reduce Scope 1 and 2 smart buildings technology can be used to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption across your built environment. For example, by overlaying different data sets you might be able to identify days and times where occupancy is low, but energy consumption is high. Another opportunity would be to use IAQ sensors to set parameters to ensure the temperature stays within certain thresholds and therefore reduce consumption”.
Another partner, SSE, state:
“There will be a lot more collaboration across companies going forward. We're going to have to have systems that are optimised but are open so that the data can be shared with other things. We're already doing this with lighting, for instance. We are installing a quality lighting control solution, we're not trying to control it from the BMS, but the data is available to share. This creates a much more unified system that allows the building to react and understand what's going on. In due course, we can start sending information back and forth, so it can become a 2-way dialogue”.
So, how can amBX help?
In the IoT era, Building Management System integration is getting more complex with the rise of IoT devices, smart equipment and the continuing convergence of IT-OT systems.
Our smart software solution can integrate this growing complexity of systems and help System Integrators get value from the building data generated. In addition, our software can be installed on 3rd party hardware and removes the need for system integration within the construction process.
Easily integrate with a huge range of systems and devices.
Full suite of APIs, including a BACnet interface for easy integration with 3rd party systems.
Protocol-agnostic solution, turns buildings into intelligent spaces.
We can create custom UI’s, designed for your client’s needs.
White-label solutions available.
We can maintain and manage the solution on your behalf.
An IP-based solution that can also be accessed and controlled via the cloud.
Can be operated as a standalone solution or integrated with building management systems.
The flexible architecture allows for single and multiple building use.
Users have full access to data collected from lights, sensors and devices via our dashboard or via a third-party system.
Not only is system and device integration across commercial buildings an issue in terms of the time and cost implications but it is also bad for the environment. Having a solution that can converge all of this and connect disparate services is essential to be able to get true value from the data collected. Automations, schedules, and sensors all contribute to the process. By prioritising net zero targets the construction industry will be forced to change and try newer, more innovative solutions. This change will benefit us all. Many existing buildings need to be retrofitted and upgraded to meet government targets and become environmentally positive. Integration is especially important in these older buildings due to proprietary systems. Many own-brand systems installed years previously can be problematic, newer systems will struggle to connect to them therefore often the cost quoted to upgrade the building is extortionate because these old systems (that often work perfectly well) will have to be replaced in order to allow the newer systems/devices to communicate. However, SmartCore could help. Our open architecture allows us to communicate with both new and proprietary solutions, acting as the glue that joins the building together.