Modern Building Services

FEATURE SMART BUILDINGS 14 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES FEBRUARY 2021 SMART BUILDINGS T he future of buildings and cities are going to be smart and connected spaces, what is the role of smart lighting within commercial buildings? “The time of smart lighting has really arrived! “Previously we always talked about intelligent buildings, but that is nowmoving towards smart buildings, intelligent buildings we more the on-prem solution where things were provided in silos eg; lighting, fire, security, etc. But smart buildings are about integration, not just on-site through IoT but also in the cloud. The data available is now providing lots of services that previously were not able to exist. “Data provided allows for preventative maintenance which now permits users to identify a problem ahead of time and a person can be on their way to the site with the correct part before a problem even occurs. “Data unlocks the power to offer services that have always been there, but their full potential failed to be utilised due to the inaccessibility of data and the inability to quickly and easily view it and interact with it. Asset utilisation, space utilisation, energy, HVAC, security, air quality, etc. can be converged off-site and into a platform whereby people can actually use it. “I think the situation we have been forced through in 2020 has accelerated the growth of smart buildings. COVID-19 has caused more of a hybrid working situation and many people may not return to the office, or if they do it will be for different reasons. Offices were always 40% empty before because of movement of staff but now we will see more people working from home and people reducing their office space. Office space will now become a buyer’s opportunity, they can have touchless lifts and voice commands etc. “It has also accelerated the engagement of the major IT companies, so we’re seeing Microsoft, Amazon, and Google actively getting engaged now with buildings and I think a lot of that is down to the different demands within our buildings now. People are expecting a better wellbeing lifestyle i.e., no fluorescent lights or poor air quality. I expect people will move buildings in the next few years as people assess their space utilisation and perhaps downside or look for alternative solutions that suit their staff more. One of the most important things I think people will begin to harness further is lighting. “Lighting has always been there, but it has always been controlled by the building automation system and used very simplistically, it was more of an on/off, presence detection sensor solution. It is so much more than that now. The connected solution between all on-site requirements is now brought together as part of the IoT and the data taken off-site e.g., building automation, fire and safety and security, etc. can all be managed off-site. Roger Woodward , Smart Building Consultant shares his thoughts on ‘What is the Role of Smart Lighting within Commercial Buildings?’ What is the Role of Smart Lighting within Commercial Buildings?