A major project for the future, the smart city aims to optimize cities globally in order to obtain direct economic and environmental benefits. The building sector is currently undergoing major changes, both in the design of its structures, which are increasingly connected, and in its processes, which are more closely linked to the territories and the aspirations of citizens.
The smart building offers services that promote energy management at the local level through a balance between the building stock and the urban infrastructure through data connected by technologies such as IoT. In the smart city, smart buildings are therefore a lever of innovation for cities. The projects of smart building under construction must set tangible standards for the future in order to create sustainable eco-neighbourhoods on a large scale.
Who are the main players in Smart Building and Smart City?
In addition to their objectives of reducing energy costs and protecting the environment, smart cities also want to improve the quality of life of city dwellers with revised mobility and easily accessible territories.
The smart grid adapts to the needs of users in each sector to avoid energy waste. Connected to the smart grid, the connected buildings are informed of the uses of each one. Their data collection system is based on appropriate technologies anchored in everyday life, using appropriate sensors.
In practice, moving from smart building to the smart city is nevertheless complex. This approach requires the involvement of many actors at different levels. Local communities provide the opportunity to initiate projects at the political level. Their direct management is entrusted to urban planning professionals (design firms, builders, etc.) capable of designing each smart building required.
Finally, citizens are the first links in this long chain of competences. It is with their commitment and the democratization of eco-responsible uses that the smart city can exist.
IoT sensors for more interoperability and standardization
Smart cities employ innovative technologies to deliver significant energy savings, greater comfort for city dwellers and environmental friendliness. Therefore, smart building and IoT are inseparable in order to ensure efficient data collection via equipment equipped with ever more sophisticated sensors. These are processed to reduce energy consumption through real-time optimization in each sector.
For the implementation of the smart building, sensors are not sufficient. It is necessary that operators at the level of territories, networks and buildings rely on a real interoperability of equipment in order to reproduce on a large scale viable eco-districts.
The multiplication of studies is being replaced by increased standardization in the design of smart buildings, which is an essential prelude to the creation of smart cities that are efficient in terms of energy, citizen comfort and urban mobility.