Technological advances have affected everything from our cars to our coffee makers. The trend is leading the world towards smart devices, phones, and electrical grids. Smart buildings are already starting to take shape to fit into the new paradigm. The amount of information stored, communicated, and produced in modern buildings is enormous, and smart buildings will attempt to connect all of the machines and occupants to the grid of information.
Smart buildings attempt to connect and control the various systems and machinery to lead to more efficient occupants while lowering the environmental impact and cost of the building itself. The control can include door and room access, illumination, power, air conditioning and quality, security, sanitation, and more, all to coalesce into a more efficient and productive building.
Like all advancements, smart buildings provide several advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is the impact to the cost of owning and operating a building. The building is designed to learn the patterns and cost fluctuation of each individual system involved in day to day activity. The building can learn when the occupants decrease and shut down illumination, air control, and unnecessary assets that are only needed to make people more comfortable in certain locations of the building.
The system can also keep track and empirically learn the maintenance cycles of equipment used in the building and notify management when there is a critical need workers must address. This would save money and create a safer work environment. As the system integrates itself into a smart electrical grid, it can track the fluctuating costs of electricity through the day and incorporate the data into its decision making to reach the lowest possible electrical costs for the company.
The main disadvantage to a smart building is, of course, cyber security. When a company connects all devices in a system to a single control network, there is a risk of nefarious users or outside persons to effectively hack into a building. The outcome of a successful hacker can range from fooling around with the lights to annoy the occupants to capturing critical information from the company.
Smart buildings can provide a number of environmental benefits, including:
Energy efficiency: By monitoring and controlling lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, smart buildings can reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Resource conservation: Smart buildings can conserve resources such as water and natural gas by using sensors and automation to reduce waste.
Sustainable design: Smart buildings can be designed to incorporate sustainable materials, technologies, and features, such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, and green roofs.
Indoor air quality: Smart buildings can use sensors to monitor air quality and adjust ventilation systems to ensure occupants have access to fresh air.
Reduced carbon footprint: By reducing energy consumption and conserving resources, smart buildings can help to lower the overall carbon footprint of a building, making it more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Retrofitting existing buildings with smart technology can pose several challenges. Firstly, the cost of retrofitting can be high, which may be a barrier for building owners and managers, particularly for older buildings with outdated infrastructure. Additionally, existing buildings may have limited space for adding new equipment or systems, making it difficult to integrate new technologies. Retrofitting may also require significant changes to building systems, which could disrupt normal operations and require extended downtime.
Another challenge is the potential impact on jobs in the building management and maintenance industry. While smart technology can lead to more efficient building management and reduced energy consumption, it can also lead to the automation of certain tasks that were previously done by human workers. This could potentially result in job losses for workers in the building management and maintenance industry, particularly for those who are not trained in the new technologies. However, it is also possible that smart buildings will create new jobs in areas such as data analysis, cybersecurity, and system maintenance.
Overall, the benefits of retrofitting existing buildings with smart technology, such as increased energy efficiency and cost savings, can outweigh the challenges and potential impact on jobs. However, it is important for building owners and managers to carefully consider the costs and potential consequences before making the decision to retrofit. It is also important for policymakers to consider the potential impact on workers and to develop strategies to ensure a smooth transition to the new technologies.
To test the security strength of smart buildings, IBM’s X-Force Security Research Group decided to perform a penetration test on a building’s automation system. The results showed that little thought was put into the security of the system. The team was able to access several necessary systems that could be used to negatively impact the company but stopped once the point was proven.
IBM’s team released some helpful information after attaining the results of the penetration test. One of the ways the team was able to gain access to the system was poor password management. The building the team tested stored the passwords as clear text and even shared them between different devices. IBM recommends avoiding these types of weak password practices. It went on to recommend that not all devices need to be given remote access, and users should disable this access to prevent possible breaches of security.
Like computer networks, there is also software that can monitor activity on the network and notify users of any suspicious activity. This kind of software, and the automation system itself, must remain up-to-date to provide the highest level of security. The potential for security breaches is inherent with smart systems, but the community of cyber security specialists is developing ways to fight these possibilities. With the recommended preventative measures, the disadvantages of smart buildings can be overcome.
The outlook for smart buildings projects the growth of the industry, and future projects give a futuristic excitement to companies and individuals. Zion Research predicts that the industry will grow 30% between 2015 and 2020. This growth projection can be attributed to the advantages discussed, urbanization paces, and the favorable government regulations being enacted to help reduce environmental and infrastructure impacts. The main constraint to the growth of smart buildings is the high cost of construction.
However, with the consumer marketing growing for smart home appliances, people can incorporate the systems piecemeal. Electronics stores already sell lighting and thermostats that can be controlled via smartphones and computers. Security systems can be accessed from work if a person forgets to lock the door or would like to monitor a child. One research project at the University of British Columbia even predicts that it can be possible to turn windows into television screens. These types of smart devices will help grow the industry from the corporate world to the homes of individuals.
