COVID-19: How Smart Buildings and IoT can help us return to some normality
The world is changing and constantly evolving, along with our priorities – there is now a heightened focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, wellbeing and connectivity. These challenges have been gradually getting addressed for some time; however, the pandemic may have accelerated the uptake further. There is a need for remote monitoring, preventative maintenance, and truly usable spaces.
Smart buildings are healthy buildings. They are healthy for the environment by helping to meet the needs for net-zero carbon. They are also healthy for occupants because they can help stop the spread of bacteria and viruses.
A smart building is a living asset that is utilised by Building and Facility managers to improve operations. It is connected, using technology to automate processes and control building services, including lighting, heating, air conditioning, security, etc. This is achieved through a network of sensors, wired and wireless technology and microchips to collect and aggregate data into a user interface which takes the guesswork out of building control and maintenance. Read more here.
Changing Attitudes
As the pandemic forced many of us to work from home to minimise the spread of the virus, attitudes began to change. The traditional view of working from home meant you were ‘slacking off’; however, many of us realised that modern technology allows us to work effectively at home, if not more effectively than when we were in the office. Certain tasks lend themselves to quiet ‘head down’ work, while others require some collaboration. Therefore, many commentators are suggesting that the workplace will become more of an experience, a place that encourages creative thinking and group work, but many believe we will never make a full return to the office. A hybrid working situation will suit many people. Commuting time changed from up to a couple of hours to a matter of seconds, leading to a much better work-life balance. So, the question is, how will smart buildings cultivate feelings of safety and create an environment that employees want to be in?
“Lighting has really begun to change people’s environments. As customers are driving demand for improved workplaces, it is going to cause real-estate companies to upgrade their sites so that the incoming customer can have a smarter building that is connected, sustainable, safe, secure and affordable…but wellbeing is such an important thing for them now because one of the most expensive items for any company is its staff, retaining staff is so important. Lighting has a huge part to play in that”. – Roger Woodward, Smart Building Consultant.
This change in attitude is also understood by Property Developers and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). They recognise what their tenants want and what they may be expecting in the future; they are embracing smart technology as it is going to help them stay current.
Smart lighting building systems can optimise a workplace, sensors within the lighting can monitor many aspects, including occupancy, temperature, air quality, etc., and lighting can even disinfect an environment killing bacteria and viruses that may be on surfaces.
‘The open office is dead’ - Dynamic office space which can be reinvented without massive cost could be the future. Smart systems and devices need to be flexible and adaptable, creating a space that can accommodate all potential tasks carried out.
“Buildings will change in a similar way to how retail changed a few years ago, as more stuff went online. You actually now need to make the office more of an enjoyable environment to go to. So the days where you go to the office, you've got your cafes on-site, there might be restaurants close by, you might have a cinema where you can go and watch a movie at lunchtime. But those are the sorts of things I think you're going to have to start thinking about, making it a place people actively want to come to, because I don't think employers are going to have the excuse anymore that people can't work efficiently from home. – Luke Wilson, Head of Advisory Services at Triangle.
Data-driven insights
Data is one of the most important assets within a building; it allows Building and Facility Managers to understand how their building is being used, save costs, increase safety and improve energy efficiency.
Many big public spaces have begun to use sensors to gain valuable insights, which allow them to identify infections and reduce their spread. E.g., infrared cameras to measure body temperature, water sensors to check employees and patients are washing their hands for long enough, sensors in supermarkets that operate a traffic light system and stop people from entering when the shop has hit capacity.
Better air quality and more effective ventilation in buildings were also gaining traction before COVID, but the fact that they help to minimise virus survival rates, therefore, means Building Managers and Real-estate companies are taking action and improving services. They understand that in order to maintain tenants and employees, these concerns now need to be addressed seriously. The ability to present data about the health of a building from services such as ventilation systems will help building occupants feel safer and more valued.
“If you ensure that you're linking data in a consistent way, then ultimately, you can understand things that you would never have done before. This may be linking your BMS to your sensor data and then subsequently to your HR data, for instance. In turn, this can identify sickness trends, which might be because a certain building or a certain room in a building has always got slightly high humidity. And therefore, you'd never in a million years identify that 1% or 2% difference, but maybe over 12 months, you start noticing that everybody who sits there has, on average, two or three days more sickness”. – Luke Wilson, Head of Advisory Services at Triangle.
Connectivity between systems and devices can further refine processes, including prioritising areas for cleaning. Data from occupancy sensors and workplace reservation systems can be used to indicate which areas are ‘high in traffic’ or used often; this can improve efficiencies as well as safety.
By upgrading building networks and using IoT to increase the items connected to the Building Management System, it improves the sophistication level of a smart building, with the ultimate goal of creating an autonomous building.
Touchless Technology
Another component of post-COVID workplaces may be touchless technology. High traffic areas spread germs; imagine every person who enters a building touches the same door, button to call the lift or button on the printer. These ‘high touch’ areas are notorious for spreading germs and bacteria. Touchless tech aims to reduce these touchpoints through sensors, apps and voice control.
To find out more about this, you can listen to our interview with Doordeck on our podcast ‘amBX – The Smart Building Podcast’. Make sure you follow and subscribe, so you don’t miss the episode.
Autonomous buildings
Autonomous buildings are buildings that adapt to various internal and external factors; they continuously learn and respond to the needs of building occupants. They are able to automatically adjust lighting, temperature and other services based on indoor and outdoor conditions. They provide the optimal environment for occupants, empowering them to excel in their tasks. They also provide valuable insights that have never been possible in the past – taking away the guesswork and allowing people to make decisions based on data as opposed to gut feeling.
For many people, autonomous buildings are the end goal. It is where everything is seamlessly connected and works as a living, breathing asset. As we transition back to workplaces, public buildings, and shared spaces, demand for autonomous buildings will only increase. They reduce risk, improve safety, improve occupant wellbeing and health but ultimately make lives easier.
As we move forward, it is likely that new regulations will be brought in which ensure workplaces have the correct lighting level, air quality, security, etc. Further health and safety and data regulations will likely be added. Autonomous buildings will monitor these factors for you and let you know if there is an issue so you can act quickly and ahead of time. They are a building owner’s eyes and ears; they enable a business to excel.
Level up
At the moment, in the UK, however, at best, buildings are on stage 3 of a 5-step plan to autonomous buildings. Some may use smart technology; it may be incorporated across a building to improve the performance of systems such as HVAC, lifts, utilities; but they are not operating without human intervention. Neither do they anticipate and adapt to changes by themselves – this is the next stage of sophistication and where many buildings will be aiming to get to in the next 5 years. But, bearing in mind that 75% of the industry is retrofit/refurb, not new build, systems are going to have to find ways of cost-effectively using what is already installed. Therefore, a system like SmartCore may be required to link all disparate systems and take you to the next level.