By Hans Stacey 25/10/2016

Under: Health and Safety News

Creating Smart Buildings for Safety and Efficiency

The need to drastically reduce energy consumption in the face of climate change has driven a smart technology revolution. We can now create buildings where lighting is only activated when needed and responds to changes in outside lighting conditions. Smart heating and air-conditioning systems can control temperature by different rooms and zones. Smart shutters work in combination with ventilation systems to maintain ambient temperatures. Smart buildings can even use wireless technology for fire detection and security. What's more, the smartest of buildings integrate and manage multiple smart systems at one central hub.

From homes, offices, commercial premises, industrial facilities, sports stadiums, hotels, schools, hospitals and other public buildings, the potential application for smart technology is immense. There is still work to be done on the supply side to make businesses and homeowners aware of the financial benefits and incentivise usage. Often seen as an expensive investment, smart technology typically pays for itself in 1-2 years, thanks to energy savings and operational efficiencies, according to Union Systems.

It's not just energy consumption and efficiency that can benefit from smart technology: it can also have advantages for safety. As Union Systems points out in their '10 Myths about creating Smarter Buildings' report, integrated smart technology reduces fire load by minimising cabling requirements and can also detect when equipment is close to failure.

The use of wireless systems in smart builds not only reduces cabling requirements and installation times in new builds, but also eases the challenge of adding smart technology to existing buildings. In the past, the cost of retrofitting existing buidlings has been a barrier for smart technology. Now, wireless systems make the initial investment more affordable and minimises disruption. 

Are you using smart technology? Share your experiences in the comments section below.