Smart building is defined as the integration of digital technologies in buildings intended for residential or professional use. The objective is to reduce the energy consumption of buildings, while optimizing the comfort of its users. Thus, thanks to its characteristics, the smart building responds to current ecological issues.
Characteristics of an intelligent building
To meet the definition of an intelligent building, a building must have several characteristics. The very first is its location: indeed, to optimize the energy systems and reduce costs, the choice of the land is essential.
As for the building itself, it must have the latest technological developments in terms of energy consumption. These include sensors that collect data such as temperature, noise level and humidity in order to adapt heating, air conditioning, ventilation and lighting in real time.
This equipment is accompanied by the most efficient technologies in terms of renewable energy, in order to optimize the energy efficiency of the building. Another feature of intelligent buildings is the possibility for users to consult external data, such as the weather or public transport timetables for example.
What are the main benefits of an intelligent building?
The biggest advantage of intelligent buildings is energy consumption: thanks to sensors, energy consumption is regulated at every moment as closely as possible to the needs of the building’s occupants. This results in energy savings, estimated at 40%, but also budget savings.
The renewable energy industry believes that automating the collection of ambient data is a long-term solution to the ecological challenge while offering more comfort to users. Intelligent buildings are therefore a key to the ecological transition, insofar as their equipment makes it possible to optimize electricity consumption and avoid waste.
Finally, another significant advantage: the smart building simplifies the life of its occupants by providing them with more comfort with the automated closing of shutters, the management of lighting or heating.
The smart building is not reserved for new constructions: it is possible to transform a building into a smart building, by renovating the heating or the ventilation for example. Thus, in old or new buildings, thanks to automated temperature control and the simplification of users’ lives, the intelligent building is the building of the future. Faced with the ecological challenge, the smart building appears to be an optimal solution to save energy, while reducing the occupants’ energy budget in the long term.
