The systems integrated in a smart building are an asset to better respond to current energy issues. Intelligent buildings allow savings on this expense item and control the associated costs.
Optimizing a building’s energy consumption: a key challenge for smart buildings
The technology and sensors that fall under the characteristics of the intelligent building offer much more complete information than those available in a conventional building. This provides the manager with data to optimize the various systems.
Connected sensors allow, for example, to monitor the ventilation system and to know when to intervene on the VMC so that it keeps its nominal operation. Maintenance becomes preventive instead of reactive. By acting upstream, without waiting for a breakdown, we optimize both energy consumption and comfort of use.
These new buildings, built to the latest applicable standards, are inherently more efficient than older buildings. Some operate with positive energy, meaning that they are designed from the start to produce more energy than they consume. The BMS (Building Management System) optimizes the use of this energy.
How can intelligent buildings reduce energy consumption?
With an intelligent building, the ecological transition is underway! Thanks to an energy efficiency studied from the design stage, the targeted consumption is below the threshold of 50 kWh/m²/year, ideally with renewable energy. The intelligent building, meeting the latest standards, is thus the absolute opposite of the “thermal flats”!
The intelligent building, the building of the future, allows for the fine management of energy consumption. The technologies implemented provide information in real or near real time. There is no need to wait for the next bill to notice a possible malfunction. Users can thus identify electricity consumption peaks as soon as they occur. They themselves can become actors of the energy transition by participating in the reduction of this consumption!
The analysis of the data makes it possible to identify excessive consumption and/or abnormal evolution. It is thus possible to trigger maintenance to correct overconsumption due to premature aging of an appliance or a lack of maintenance. Reducing the temperature during periods of non-occupancy will reduce heating costs without reducing the comfort of the occupants.
Intelligent management also includes the management of lighting and electrical appliances, which can be turned off automatically. Not lighting when the premises are empty and turning off appliances that don’t need to be on all the time means that you don’t consume and spend unnecessarily.