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Intelligent BUILDINGS
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usage, comfort and safety. Knowing normal baseline behaviors allows
the system to recognize anomalies or unusual behavior, flagging them
for engineers so adjustments can be made to bring performance and
optimization back to acceptable standards. This ‘intelligent machine’
predicts adverse issues which may affect occupants’ comfort and safety
negatively, allowing for preemptive attention and action.
Di-BOSS’s ability to compare data sets of the learned behaviors of both
building and occupants can reveal opportunities for energy savings.
A notable example is the process that allows the ‘brain’ to identify
the optimal time for turning on air conditioning systems, varying it in
accordance with behaviors recorded in the past and the number of users
present in the building at a given time, considering weather forecasts
and the state of equipment on a specific day of the year. This allows for a
quick reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, a module is offered which allows the sharing of data directly
with tenants so they can monitor their own consumption and manifest
savings through behavior modifications. During the first 12 months of
operation at just one of Rudin’s buildings with approximately 2 million
square feet, the savings totaled roughly $929,000, mainly through
delayed ramp up in the mornings and earlier shut downs in the evening.
The next developments will involve the possibility of exchanging
information between the commercial buildings—and comparable
infrastructure—and the local power grid, a request already made by New
York’s grid operator, which is aiming to achieve collaborative demand-
response management of power, improved responsiveness in the event
of power failure, greater integration between renewable technologies
and energy storage, and promotion of electric mobility.
The goal is to turn commercial buildings into cells of a larger, more
complex and intelligent living organism, such as the city where they
are located. In the near future this solution will be offered on an
international scale, not only to real estate management companies,
but also to airports, train stations and military bases, which will benefit
from aggregate information control on multiple levels. This project is
yet another initiative among others undertaken by the group in the
wake of smart solutions based on the integrated management Planet
Inspired Solutions, i.e. the portfolio of technological solutions designed
to address the challenges of sustainability. In this array of offerings, there
are technological solutions and platforms for the following areas: Earth
Observation, Natural Resources, Smart Energy, Smart Mobility, Education
& Health Care, and Environmental & Security Response.
Bruce Sher, SVP, is leading Selex ES’s Smart Building
Division in the US Market. Previously, he was VP of
Weston and responsible for an energy services team and
driving integrated energy management and environmental
solutions. With over 25 years of executive energy
management experience on both the utility and customer
side, he has overseen innovative approaches in the integration
of supply and demand-side management. He is also co-founder of Viridity
Energy and has been involved in building other start-up smart grid ventures with
substantial experience in energy control systems.
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