Smart buildings are gaining popularity as they can reduce energy consumption by 30 to 70% and many other maintenance or management costs. It’s a delicate balance that requires careful preparation to truly benefit from them.
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All Buildings Can ‘Speak,’ But Not All Can Become Smart
Today, with IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, it’s possible to make any building ‘speak,’ even a 15th-century castle or church. There are many wireless sensors for various applications.
Energy monitoring often comes first, but it’s applicable to comfort, water management, corrosion, inclusion, anti-theft, security, etc.
Technically, all buildings can ‘speak’ and tell us what’s happening.
However, not all buildings can become smart because, depending on the age of the technical installations, they may not necessarily have the capacity to provide detailed information or receive overly precise commands.
For example, at Campus Contern, we constructed our 6 buildings in phases between 2008 and 2019. The HVAC installations of the earlier buildings are much more limited in instructions and flexibility than the newer ones. If the system is not designed to separate zones, zone-by-zone control will be de facto impossible, even with a very good sensor.
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Important to Follow the 3 Steps: Measure, Optimize, Control
Once the sensors are installed, there’s always an observation phase: the building will show us where and how energy is consumed, what the basic comfort data are, how spaces are used, etc.
This assessment phase was crucial for us to identify priority actions, those that will have the biggest impact on our operations.
Next, we can optimize operations by addressing the major points revealed by our data observation: for example, adjusting the temperature of spaces when they are empty on weekends.
Finally, after the basic optimizations, it becomes possible to implement alert management, automatic control, preventive maintenance, etc.
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Beyond energy, smart buildings will enable maintenance and management savings
A building’s operation goes far beyond simple energy use. Maintenance is a major expense that can be significantly reduced. For example:
>> Monitoring the proper functioning of elevators allows for detecting a potential problem before a breakdown, which reduces intervention costs AND maintains service for occupants, who won’t even notice.
>> Monitoring pressure and dust in the ventilation system allows for detecting anomalies before a breakdown and preventing damage to expensive-to-replace parts, or performing filter maintenance only when necessary, thus avoiding waiting too long (and having poor air quality) or replacing filters unnecessarily (waste).
It also saves time and effort for managers once the system is in place, as they will receive alerts, automate interventions, etc.
They will coordinate service providers more easily and precisely since the building will have provided precise data on the nature of the problem: no surprises, we come directly with the right equipment.
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The Price and ROI Are Much Better Than They Seem
It’s always a sticking point: investing in the building, yes, but with what return?
At Campus Contern, we tend to focus on the results more than the ROI, even though it’s obviously important.
The Good News:
- Many subsidies are available to finance between 50 and 70% of the investment.
- These technologies are becoming increasingly accessible. If they are well-conceived and scaled to your building, the ROI for installation is between 1 and a maximum of 2.5 years, which is very short.
- The collateral benefits are also interesting.
- If we take the elevator example again: an emergency intervention costs 10 times more than a preventive one.
- The more we anticipate and manage the building, the better the customer experience: fewer breakdowns, better comfort, more flexibility… and thus satisfied tenants who renew their leases.
Buildings couldn’t be smart 8 years ago, but they can all become smart to varying degrees. It just requires looking into the matter.
It is also to stay at the forefront of innovation that we are members of the Smart Building Alliance Luxembourg.
We are available to share our tips if needed.