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Intelligent Buildings

FOUR KEYS TO DEPLOYING A SMART

BUILDING PROGRAM DURING COVID-19

JOHN HESTER
Owner and Chief Consultant
Hester Consulting

SMART BUILDINGS ARE BECOMING more commonplace a critical first step, develop the business case that answers
every day, as smart technologies show promise (and proven these questions as specifically as possible.
business benefits) for property and facility managers across
the country. The siren’s song of saved operating expenses, The objective needs to fit with the company culture and have
reduced energy consumption and the associated smaller the support of those affected. If employee experience is the
carbon footprint has captivated many. Others are enticed by goal, HR should be on board. If operational savings—including
the promise of enhanced occupant experiences that retain energy and the delivery of maintenance services—is the objec-
employees and improve their health and productivity. Add the tive, gain the support of the facilities and energy managers.
current pandemic, and more justification exists in the form of Also recognize that in setting your objectives, other benefits
creating a building control system that can work intelligently may be identified and should be included in the business case.
and autonomously, minimizing the need to expose mainte-
nance teams to human contact, while maintaining control of A new building or major renovation of an existing one usually
building systems and creating a safer environment. offers the greatest potential cost-benefit ratio. Capital costs
can be saved from reducing cabling costs through using the
So how does one get from these dreams of a building IT network, avoiding duplicate sensors for different systems
Nirvana to the reality of deploying a smart building system and the elimination of workstations for each platform.
that meets its objectives? Let’s consider these four import-
ant points: In an existing building or campus, costs to install can be
higher. Integrating existing systems can be tricky, depend-
1. Location and business case ing on their age and communication protocols. They could
I tie these two together because it’s hard to decide one with- require upgrades or even replacement. IT infrastructure
out the other. Depending on the building portfolio, different may not be sufficient and may need to be upgraded as well.
locations could have different justifications or needs for a The need to work nights or weekends in order to reduce dis-
smart building system. Or, if you have the same objective, ruption to an occupied space drives up labor costs. There’s
the approaches might differ from facility to facility. In any a lot to think about. The good news is that there is help.
case, what is the goal? How will success be measured? As That is discussed in the next key point.

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