What is an Intelligent Building System?
The term ‘intelligent building,’ explained literally, refers to buildings that integrate technology to make them more energy-efficient and sustainable for their owners. Any building comes under the category of an Intelligent Building when it takes care of factors like thermal comfort, enhancing visual comfort, indoor air and water quality, reduction of waste, optimizing economic performance, etc. and uses technological aids along with design techniques to achieve the same; a harmonious combination of art and technology. These factors work well when large-scale commercial building rendering or industrial projects are considered.
Benefits of an Intelligent Building System.
With the advancement of technology, it is now possible to plan the energy output and carbon footprint of a building using BIM (Building Information Modelling). Buildings are certified and rated based on their energy outputs via LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the world’s most widely used green building rating system.
Therefore, to achieve the highest ratings of green building and sustainability, it is always better to plan an intelligent building by using elements such as solar panels, CO2 sensors, smoke detectors, motion sensors, an intelligent building management system (IBMS) control room, sewage treatment plants, water-efficient landscaping, waterless urinals or energy-efficient appliances. There are various benefits of an intelligent building system in the long term, such as cost-effectiveness, rapid response to disasters, and end-user satisfaction, which are only possible when pre-planned through commercial building rendering such as BIM.
Components of an Intelligent Building System.
These are a few intelligent building systems that can be incorporated in 3D BIM or Commercial Building Renderings to make any residential, commercial or industrial building an intelligent building:
- Security and Surveillance System
Building security systems such as CCTVs, electric fences, alarms and access controls, etc., are designed to detect unauthorized persons entering your premises. The system is designed so that when the premises go into alarm mode, the internal and external sirens are activated, alerting the intruder that the mobile security patrol officer and owner are on their way.
- Lighting Management System
Both indoor and outdoor lighting of commercial, industrial, and residential spaces require lighting control systems. They serve to provide the right amount of light where and when needed. Lighting control systems are often referred to as Smart Lighting.
- Telecommunication System
This system may primarily be divided into wired and wireless methods. With the advent of IoT into the home space, telecom tech has become intuitive and can adapt to the owner’s behaviour. Automation systems can be easily integrated into smart homes for leveraging technology.
- Fire Safety System
These include detection, notification and suppression. It is always beneficial to install a fire safety system powered by smoke detectors, alarms and hooters, fire sprinklers and a pre-planned evacuation process.
- Parking Management System
An Automated Parking System (APS) is designed to minimize the area required for parking cars. Like a multi-storey parking garage, an APS provides parking for cars on multiple levels stacked vertically for efficient land usage.
- Public Address (PA) System
A Public Address System (PA) comprises microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers and related equipment. Simple PA systems used in small venues such as school auditoriums, churches, and small bars are beneficial for broadcasts. PA systems with many speakers are more useful for public announcements in institutional and commercial locations.
Intelligent buildings are the sustainable future that will help us fight climate change through collaborative methods.