When someone refers to a building as being “smart”, we generally understand that the term refers to properties that are able to automate building processes and data. Energy use, financial information and building performance are all readily available and easily quantified and used. And while building intelligence is something most people know of, what does it truly mean? Let’s explore four characteristics of smart buildings.
1. Asset to Portfolio, Portfolio to Asset
Most real estate organizations do not own one building, but rather own many. As such, a key characteristic of smart properties is allowing an organization to control, augment and scale data at a variety of levels—be it a single building or an entire portfolio. Intelligent properties are increasingly about intelligent portfolios as well.
2. Data Storage and Consistency
Data storage and the consistency of information is one of the most critical aspects to having a smart building. How data is stored and entered, including terminology and nomenclature, can make or break an organization’s analytical capabilities. The adage that garbage in equals garbage out is true for building data, and intelligent properties have systems that can limit those issues.
3. Software and Analytics
Along with data storage is the need to analyze information in meaningful ways. Software continues to be a key part of any intelligent building, converting raw data points into virtually any output imaginable. Financial analysis, reporting, scenario testing—these are all driven by software and high-level analytics.
4. Energy and Sustainability
The ability to control energy use is also a part of an intelligent building. Today’s HVAC, water and electricity systems are less about monitoring as they are about controlling and adjusting for environmental factors throughout the day. This “active” energy control is becoming more common in commercial properties, with realized energy cost savings.
Singularity and “Asset-Centricity”: How 4tell Solutions Can Help
Bridging the gap across these various intelligent building characteristics is the ability to ensure all facets of a building’s performance—financial, energy and operational—are controlled and tracked at a single source. By attaching all building information data to a single property, you are able to achieve the four characteristics mentioned above—something 4tell terms “asset centric” data. Data can be scaled between portfolios and assets, information is consistent at the input and output stage, software and analytics have more impact, and energy use can be monitored at a higher level of detail.
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