Blog

March 8, 2012

Intelligent Building Systems curtail hidden inefficiencies to optimize building performance

Commercial real estate (RE) executives are embracing advanced means to lower building energy costs and reduce environmental impacts. A new category of solutions, known as Intelligent Building Systems (IBS), allows executives and building managers to curtail inefficiencies that they have not addressed before. Owing to advanced capabilities, such as sophisticated analytics and connections with thousands of data points in the building automation system (BAS) and building management system (BMS), IBS promise to drastically change the way buildings are managed. IBS can optimize equipment, lighting, and plug loads while providing advanced performance tracking to generate an average 15-30% in energy cost savings.

An IBS goes beyond simply tracking KPIs and metrics, presenting energy or other dashboards, or sending advance alarms to facility or building managers. IBS use advanced data analytics, pattern recognition and pre-set algorithms and rules to present a full picture of the overall building’s performance and recommendations to improve it. RE executives and building managers who have exhausted the “low-hanging fruit” for building optimization should consider advanced IBS solutions to improve energy and sustainability performance.

SR Inc interviewed Sustainable Real Estate Roundtable Member-Client executives and building managers to deliver a briefing, titled Implementing Intelligent Building Systems Software. Our research found that IBS perform three functions, with different systems having different strengths and weaknesses in each area:

1. Monitoring, Dashboarding, and Reporting: the integration of disparate data sources, (spreadsheets, BMS and BAS data, SQL data, etc.) to present a clear visualization of building performance by various metrics and report results internally and externally.
2. Fault Detection and Analytics: deployment of advanced, built-in analytics to identify system inefficiencies, underperforming equipment, and other areas for operational improvement.
3. Advanced Automated Controls: simple improvement of operational inefficacies through automated changes (such as turning off unused fans, reducing HVAC to unoccupied rooms, etc.), through the BMS and BAS or through high-tech wireless controllers.

To guide decision-makers in selecting a system, our research briefing positions each of 13 solutions within one of four market categories—Achievers, Thinkers, Systems Integrators, and Innovators. Of the four, vendors within the Innovators category demonstrated the best integration of complex data sources, analytics, and clear presentation of results.  The briefing also provides a 12-part decision framework with RFP guidance to aid in the implementation of a leading IBS.

The SBER Member-Client briefing Implementing Intelligent Building Systems (IBS) Software is available to Member-Clients through SR Inc’s Digital Library (log-in required).

Andrew Reovan, Sustainability Analyst (andrewreovan@sustainround.com).