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SMART BUILDINGS
the lights, control the room climate according to demand
in order to save energy and ensure security within the
building. The same is true of window contacts. The
optimum approach is to combine the motion sensor
with window contacts, which protect against intruders
and also prevent false alarms due to open windows. If
windows are opened, or if the room is unoccupied, the
heat is turned down and the overall system is optimised in
combination with algorithms that learn and suitably map
user behaviour. In connection with weather data on the
Internet, a warning of imminent rain can be given in good
time when windows are open.
Additional intelligence can also be added—such as
light quality, temperature, moisture or air quality. All this
data can be collected centrally in the system, processed in
combination with other environmental data available on
the Internet and distributed to other networked devices
and disciplines within the building.
Data for new services
Digitalisation with the aid of distributed sensors and a cloud-
based infrastructure enables facility managers to develop
and automate new services. This includes, for example, room
use management. Presence sensors can always detect how
many people use a conference room and how often or when
the cafeteria is especially crowded. Room occupancy and
thus the use of cost-intensive resources such as heating, air-
conditioning and lights, as well as staff and inventory, can
be optimised based on usage data.
Detailed usage patterns of the building, staff and
inventory can be prepared with the aid of sensor data
collected by additional sensors such as door contacts,
activity meters in electronic devices etc. These patterns
supply real-time information about the actual demand and
allow appropriate measures to be taken. An IoT gateway
interconnects the sensors and actuators over the Internet
with cloud-based platforms such as IBM Watson, Amazon
Echo, Microsoft Azure, Apple HomeKit, Google Home and
Crestron to make services more efficient.
Another example is the usage-dependent maintenance
and cleaning of sanitary facilities in office buildings. Sensors
supply the necessary data, such as how often the toilets are
used or whether the toilet paper, towel and soap dispensers
are running low on stock. Facility managers can use this data
to organise their staff according to current requirements
and always restock needed materials on time. This not only
lowers costs but also increases user satisfaction.
A comfortable environment
Greater user satisfaction also makes companies more
attractive as landlords of office space. A comfortable
atmosphere at the office has been proven to improve work
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