Technology
AI : CHANGING THE WAY BUILDINGS ARE MANAGED
By Rhyne Brown , executive vice president of NAI Global
You have likely already heard about how artificial intelligence ( AI ) is changing one industry or another .
In fact , most of the advancements in analytics people are ascribing to AI are actually done using machine learning ( which goes by the much less well-known moniker of ML ).
Machine learning is a computer ’ s ability to receive data points and , based on pre-programming , enable a computer to decide if a value is within preset limits . ML programs can then make a decision to identify and record data points as an anomaly and , in some cases , then create an instruction to take an action intended to return the naughty variance to its proper place .
Here is how that would look for buildings : Let ’ s say that the sun rises on Tuesday at 07:15 , and the weather is sunny and bright . This fact results in the building ’ s eastern face having increased heat load , and interior space warms up . The building has thermostats that soon register air temp above 76 ° F on the building ’ s exposed side .
A pre-programmed software connected to the HVAC system instructs that more chilled air is needed when an interior space reaches 76 ° F . To achieve the goal of a cooler building , the chillers get a message to crank up the production of cool air and send more conditioned air to the hot spots , perhaps doing this by also opening dampers in the ducts to achieve the needed result .
Chillers and fans continue this work until the temperature returns to another pre-programmed level , say 73 ° F . This one-dimensional action taking is machine learning . The key here is that the schedule for the action is preset .
Artificial intelligence is a computer technology that starts with a pre-programmed ML landscape , but it has a more profound capability . AI emulates the process of human thinking . People think in multiple dimensions that result in what we term ‘ reasoning .’ Reasoning , as defined by Oxford Press is : “ the action of thinking about something in a logical , sensible way .” Fully-evolved AI considers and processes complex decisions that result in simulating human intelligence .
Take the situation above . Let ’ s now assume that the AI program has access to more than one source of data , more than just thermostats . For example , what if this program has a headcount and distribution data of humans in the building ? What if the program has data on outside air temperature that suggests the chiller can still bring in outside air , resulting in less costly cool air production ? What if the program knows that there is a high likelihood that every Tuesday the conference room in the overheated space has a pattern of use that will fill it with sales agents at 10:00 . What if the cost of electricity is lower if consumed before 09:00 ?
These items are multi-variants . Facts that AI can and will consider in order to refine a more complex but better solution . This reasoning capability can potentially save a lot of resources .
Buildings that use AI can set a goal to find the best solution based on data . Calculations can now be completed hyper-fast on an ongoing , real-time basis . The result is the ability to operate property at the highest efficiency level possible . Do not just pump in chilled air until the thermostats are happy . AI also records and learns this solution , building a deeper database . It becomes the basis for future problem-solving as more data is ingested into its memory bank . Said differently : quality AI continues to drive efficiencies .
In some buildings , over a million data points per day are exchanged between building data sensors and a comprehensive AI program that operates the properties . This can help lead to some very important real-time adjustments . When an 85 000 square foot building north of L . A . was directly downwind of a significant wildfire early in 2020 the building was able to scrape data not just from mechanical systems in the building but also from outside data sources , including , in this case , Open Weather . Part of the data readout from Open Weather is local air quality . As the fire raged ten miles to the east , outdoor air quality started dropping like a rock .
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I May 2021 47