How the Internet of Things Benefits Building Operations

Today, for facility managers, there is no dearth of technology options. Whether it is the sophisticated building management systems or the Internet of Things (IoT), these technologies help facility managers get a secure flow of information. For most facility managers, the wide range of possibilities that the IoT offers is the problem. They are clueless from where to start with a smart building technology when IoT applications are used for almost every building system. Some facility managers also fear being replaced by automation. However, a facility manager’s expertise to lead a team or to develop maintenance strategies can never be replaced by building automation. It is there to make the lives of facility mangers easier and to help identify potential risks that would be difficult to detect with the traditional system of hands-on management.

IoT devices are able to deliver the right information at the right time to the right person. This has not been earlier possible with physical assets. In a layman’s language it is a network of sensors, appliances and other devices that can send and receive data. To put it in simpler words:

•         A CO2 meter is able to calculate the number of people present in a room and direct the HVAC system to increase or decrease the ventilation rate
•           An occupancy sensor can ask a light to turn on when there is a presence
•         A dashboard can measure the worth of a building’s sensor data and turn them into actionable insights

This new facility management system generally tends to fall into the following categories:

• Energy: this includes on-demand applications like wireless power and energy monitoring
• Equipment: the ones that optimize the lighting and energy and HVAC use
• Air quality: applications or devices that are able to measure and filter out CO2
• People: the technology can also measure space utilization and occupancy and measure how many people have passed through a certain point

The primary benefits of the IoT are observability and flexibility. To understand this, take a closer look at the electricity bill you get every month. It will tell you how much power you used and how much you owe but do you know where the money was exactly used? Getting an insight into where your money was used for the energy consumption is most probably one of the best ways that IoT helps you manage a building better and understand where exactly the energy is getting consumed. Let us take a quick look at how IoT as a facility management solution is transforming building operations:

·         Service and repairing: sensors installed in machines enable them to transmit information about the need for any service or repair. Fixing a machine before it breaks always makes more sense than waiting for it to breakdown, which too likely happens mostly at the wrong times.

·         Remote monitoring: for any equipment used by the users, the IoT allows these usage hours to be logged and tracked automatically. The limits can be monitored which can also prevent any possible accidents. For example, wearable computing in forms of wristbands can monitor the health and alertness of a worker or an employee. Action can be quickly taken if the limits of danger are crossed.

·         Power savings: with the help of the IoT, building spaces can send back data regarding the amount of energy that they have used. This way you can adjust the after-work hours lighting to help in energy savings. Machines can also send back information on idle hours. This way on and off periods of particular projects can be adjusted without impacting the quality of the projects where most of the time is spent to restart machines.

·         Building Information Modeling (BIM): computer models that were used for real-life construction work can now be updated by sensors and used in the building spaces. These sensors can send you information about how climate changes and time is affecting certain aspects of your building on the whole. They can send you information about some changes in energy efficiency in roofing. They will also tell you how the infrastructure of your building behaves when there are tremors or natural calamities.

·         Equipment tracking: with the help of IoT, you are able to track any equipment located on any floor or space of your facility. This saves you the time to physically check and track equipment during emergencies, you are able to identify emergency equipment, emergency exits, and access the floor plans in seconds. This not just saves you time but also keeps you better prepared for emergencies.

The IoT, as the experts say, is the new way to solve all the old problems related to facility management and building operations. Its range of applications is vast and the construction and building management sector are seen to quickly adapt to this new technology. 

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Created on May 5th 2020 09:17. Viewed 480 times.

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