The role of building automation in energy savings
Our team of sustainable engineering consultants hold initial meetings with our clients and when discussing greener energy savings solutions, inevitably leads to utilising smart building systems. Leveraging automation across commercial and residential assets is the key to unlocking energy saving by optimising usage with real time data. Building automation empowers owners, property managers and tenants to understand where they can save energy both in terms of cost and consumption.
What is a smart building?
Smart buildings use technology to manage the energy systems within a building such as lighting, electrical, security and water systems. Utilising state of the art AI and machine learning, smart buildings can collect data through sensors and other devices within the building to understand usage and send all that actionable data to the building manager. This data is critical when needing to understand how a building performs because with real time data, the analysis can be used to optimise the efficiency of the building and enable the continuing evolution of building design.
How building automation helps
The main building utilities are water and sewage, electricity and air-conditioning and heating. When we collaborate with clients to install building automation, we demonstrate how it gives them total transparency and control on all their systems at different times of day. We show them through modelling the benefits beyond sensor lighting and timed heating, the Cudd Bentley team offer insight on systems that deliver much deeper information such as humidity and occupancy sensors for example. This means that the building manager can react in a proactive and responsive way based on the information that is sent to a central control system. It enables HVAC and lighting systems to be optimised and controlled in such a way so that they are only in use when necessary. Building automation delivers valuable insight into energy demand so that it is only consumed when it is needed rather than running around the clock.
Larger sites and portfolio of properties
The real time data that is produced in automated smart buildings significantly improves building management because it means everything from energy heating and security can be controlled remotely, freeing up the time of the building manager so that they do not need to be on site to react to building conditions. It reduces staffing costs by driving down maintenance and operational investment as well as positively impacting emissions by reducing the need to drive from site to site to site.
Wellbeing of tenants
The benefits of leveraging building automation are not just for those responsible for managing the building, the occupants also benefit in terms of wellbeing with better air quality, comfortable temperatures and greater productivity. This is appealing both from a commercial and residential perspective. Commercial tenants will welcome systems that can help manage business costs and meet their own net zero goals. In terms of marketing to buyers in the residential space, showcasing smart building control systems, particularly in an apartment complex will no doubt add to the appeal.
When we collaborate with our clients on projects requiring energy saving and optimising, our sustainability team can offer a wealth of knowledge on how building automation can meet their needs. Please do get in touch if we can support you.