10 Building Automation Trends Reshaping the Conventions of Construction

Construction Tech Review | Wednesday, June 12, 2019

FREMONT, CA: The latest Building Automation (BA) technology includes automatic centralized control of a building's ventilation,  lighting, heating, conditioning, and other systems through a building automation system (BAS). The goals of building automation are enhanced resident comfort, efficient operation of building systems, reducing energy consumption and operating expenses. Continuous advances in cost-effective silicon, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud-based software applications have allowed new and old vendors of home solutions to add intelligence to almost any function in the house. This has lead to a rapid change in construction technology. Check out these emerging trends that serve in the long run to reinvent building automation.

• Network Integration

Automation has begun to integrate more systems that bring access control units, fire alarms, elevators and many other necessities into the same network. Building automation is simply a part of something much bigger. Various systems in buildings have been their own separate closed blocks, with their interfaces and zero communication with external systems. The latest construction method implemented is much more effective than the conventional ones, that allows the system within a building to work together for a fully compatible platform.

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• Edge Computing Architectures

Edge computing architectures localize decision-making methods through the practice of specialized devices placed alongside hardware that generates the data to be analyzed. Edge devices attached to HVAC appliances can transmit collected data to an in-building network device in a building automation context. Providers of BA controls will usually prefer the cloud services approach to system analytics and building automation software suppliers that do not also manufacture HVAC equipment. HVAC equipment manufacturers that supply BA controls will drive the trend toward building automation devices that offer added functionality at the edge. These corporations will have an advantage in expanding edge architectures and can design edge devices that work intuitively with their HVAC equipment.

• Wireless Capabilities   

Building automation systems are not an exception when it comes to wireless capabilities where phones and printers have become wireless too. Without wireless functionalities, the development would have been a long journey hard to reach. Inexpensive wireless sensors capture massive amounts of real-time data for analysis. Wireless functionality makes installation and modifications easier and also makes remote operation more possible. New wireless technologies have taken huge steps and are reflected in the number of systems and technologies available today. Competition between different wireless technologies is tough that keeps the research and development departments busy. There is a necessity to ensure that manufacturers do their best to provide the most efficient solutions for the industry.

• Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has been prevailing in consumer products for a decade.  The objectives of building automation systems many front-end user interfaces are being moved to the cloud. Moving data into clouds helps in analyzing how buildings are operating with more proficient machines and giving facility managers insights into how to run their HVAC and lighting systems more efficiently. Accumulating big-data and its subsequent ideas for hundreds or thousands of buildings enables BAS businesses to utilize ML algorithms for research into the commonalities and patterns of well-run buildings.

• Customer Experience   

Users have become more demanding as many have grown accustomed to good usability on the consumer side of products. Also, they have now woken up demanding that same level of usability in professional products. Users are becoming used to high functionality and usability more. User experience is something which companies have only recently realized how important it is. Individuals who have worked in building automation field are familiar with those cryptic user manuals, poor user interfaces, and endless text menus. Usability is something that has to be demanded with which, efficiency can be created in daily lives.

• Asset Digitization

Everyone consumes digital information daily. Digitization addresses the organization of these physical assets with your digital-born material. Asset digitization is revolutionizing Commercial Real Estate (CRE) as it catches up to the market economy. IoT facilitates asset digitization at the individual asset level. It can capture granular data from those in the building. These measures are captured in real time to enable key operational insights. 

• Smarter Security Options

Security has advanced tremendously. Cameras, smart locks and sensors help in monitoring everything that happens in the building. In smart cameras, more intelligence is being applied, which will detect people, delivery trucks. In case of any unusual activity, the concerned authority will be notified without delay. Smart sensors will also identify and report the environmental changes and will intelligently analyze and monitor data over time rather than alerting for every small change. Security is a significant concern in every sector and should be taken very seriously. The enhancement in security has made it possible for people to live in danger-free homes.

• Energy Potentialities

IoT will resume producing outsized returns in the quest for energy efficiency. Very fewer buildings have access to any form of real-time energy reporting and continue relying on the manual meter reading. The advanced technology helps in gaining access to real-time monitoring of water, electricity and gas meters. It can also beyond the main meter to provide real-time wireless sub-metering. Access to real-time submetering data will emphasize clear inefficiencies in the building. Organizations have barely started to address energy capablities. Energy efficiency will prevail at the forefront of IoT-based smart building conceptualizations.

• Virtual Smart Building Technology (BAS)

Smart Building technology will always play a vital role in the retrofit market. IoT enables virtual BAS technology manages the Heating, Ventilation, air Conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems using cloud-based controls.  These controls can help in implementing complex control routines based on an array of IoT sensors and also schedules for weekends and holidays. The nature of virtual BAS is, which provides high-impact functionality at a fraction of the cost of installation of a conventional BAS system. Energy efficiency endeavours should primarily target HVAC and lighting sources for energy savings.

• Horizontal Platforms

A long debate between horizontal and vertical approach towards IoT smart building market has been there. IoT companies are now focusing on small vertical markets in executing the company's go-to-market strategy. The horizontal approach has produced IoT platforms like Amazon that has had the earliest success in IoT. The horizontal approach will evolve when capabilities are expanded for data ingestion and data analytics in the cloud. The horizontal programme will drive the smart builders in increasing measure in the future.

The building automation trends drive the connected world in multiple ways. Environmental consciousness and the desire for a better tomorrow are encouraging this development of smart buildings and cities. The intelligent construction market will turn out to be increasingly fascinating. A lot is happening now, but the aim remains the same: useful, high-quality, and low risk-involved building processes, with building automation being one of the elements of the moment.

Check This Out: Top Building Automation Solution Companies

Check This Out: Top Building Automation Consulting/Services Companies

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