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Intelligent Buildings

WHY THE ‘AS A SERVICE’

MODEL WILL BE A GAME CHANGER

FOR INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

JOSEPH FEULING
VP, Solutions With only a small portion of their abilities being utilized,
CBRE|ESI building automation systems are often quite unimpres-
sive when initially installed. Further, if replaced at end
TODAY’S OPEN PROTOCOL building automation sys- of life with an equivalent system (in-kind replacement),
tems have the potential to make the ‘system of systems’ they continue to underwhelm observers, especially given
within facilities operate the low returns on
as a well-designed, tightly investment caused by
integrated, ecosystem - in-kind replacements.
the operative word here The low returns on
being – potential. Only by in-kind replacements
designing an intelligent, should be expected.
service-based system to be After all, if the original
implemented throughout system added little
the full build process, will value, installing an
success be attainable. exact replica can be
expected to do the
Due to the way that same.
automation systems are
designed and procured Given the low rates
both within the new con- of return on system
struction process and when replacements for
they are being replaced at these underutilized
the end of their useful lives, systems at end of life,
that potential is seldom actualized. These lost opportu- one might ask why someone would bother to replace the
nities to actualize the potential ‘intelligent building’ func- automation system at all.
tionality and value are primarily due to two things:
The short answer of course is that any building of signifi-
• The absence of a strong, well informed, BAS advocate cant size really needs an automation system to operate in
to make the connections between the building occu- a manner that provides a comfortable and cost effective
pant’s desires regarding the total building environment work environment. The interactions between the various
and the contributions of the Building Automation elements of the HVAC system alone are so complex that
System (BAS) to meeting those goals. relying on manual interventions between a building opera-
tor(s) and these systems to maintain an acceptable work
• A value engineering process in the new construction environment is simply not an option. If there were no
environment, and an ‘in-kind’ replacement mentality automation system in place, the physical building envi-
during end of life replacements, that can transform ronment would be uncontrollable, and the operating costs
even a highly intelligent integrated systems design would be far from optimal. Consequently, when the auto-
concept into a simplistic design providing little beyond mation system is at the end of its life something must
automatic temperature control functionality in the be done. If not, the potential for major building systems
pursuit of low first costs. performance issues increase substantially.

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