Modern Building Services

FEATURE SMART BUILDINGS 22 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES OCTOBER 2022 The HVAC sector is undergoing a digital revolution that is set to transform how smart buildings are conceived, designed, and built. Indeed, there is already straw in the wind, explains TimMitchell , Sales Director at Klima-Therm. Time to join the smart set ? P eople are getting brighter. Since the intelligence test was inventedmore than a century ago, our brainpower has steadily increased to the point where even the average person todaywould be considered a genius compared to someone born in 1919.This phenomenon – the observed rise in IQ test scores over time – is known as the Flynn effect 1 . But it is not only people who are getting smarter. Buildings too have developed to the point where they are equipped to cut energy consumption (in some cases to net zero), predict maintenance requirements, boost comfort (and therefore productivity), and help ensure the health and wellbeing of the occupants. Indeed, smart buildings have come a long way since the first intelligent building – the City Place Building in Hartford, Connecticut, northeast of NewYork in the US – was inaugurated in 1983 by United Technologies Building Systems Corporation (now Raytheon Technologies Corporation). So, what are smart buildings? So, what are smart – also known as connected, automated, or intelligent – buildings? According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) they are distinctive because they use in-built technology to enhance the occupier experience: “Depending on how available technology is applied, these buildings can improve health and safety aspects, support efficient energy management, and allow flexibility in how structures are managed and maintained. “This has been particularly relevant during the global pandemic by allowing employers to manage sites effectively in terms of provisions and people numbers, and in allowing employees to access work autonomously. Smart buildings internally self-service and actively communicate with elements outside their walls to interact with environmental conditions and societies.” Although there is no single, universally agreed-upon definition for smart buildings, modern versions typically involve installing and using advanced and integrated building technology systems. These might include wireless technologies, remote monitoring, data gathering devices, networked devices, and intelligent building management systems.