In an environment where climate change and environmental impact is top of mind, it is no longer sufficient to simply manage or build a building. In today’s constantly changing market, a smart building must take into account different needs than simply housing a business, warehouse or large corporation. A Smart Building is a building that uses Internet of Things (IoT) devices to enable efficient and economical use of equipment and resources while providing a safe, comfortable environment to staff, occupants, suppliers and visitors. Smart buildings use a wide range of existing technologies and are designed or retrofitted to allow for the integration of future technological developments and ever-changing tenant requirements.

Public Services and Procurement Canada says that it tracks Smart Buildings technology in 103 buildings across Canada. It has resulted in energy cost savings of $3.1 million as of 2021 and an average annual energy savings of 10% per site. That’s just one government program.

According to US-based energy analytics company, Hark, the number of Smart Buildings worldwide is projected to climb from 45 million this year to 115 million in 2026, an increase of more than 150%, as demand grows for secure, energy-efficient developments. About 90% of Smart Building spending will go to non-residential properties in 2026.

This is big-picture thinking. Companies like Cisco Canada are doing just that. “CDA (Country Digital Acceleration) exists for one purpose: To turn big thinking into real change, accelerating innovation and making digital transformation achievable on a national scale,” says William MacGowan, Smart Building Lead with Cisco Canada. “Within Public and Private sectors, we are accelerating big ideas and unlocking the true potential of digitization. CDA funds are used to demonstrate the transformative potential of technology in a Proof-of-concept environment.”

He further states that, “for real estate, the primary pillars being addressed are Integration, Sustainability/Electrification and Hybrid Work. For each pillar, detailed use cases and platform solutions are collaboratively developed with a key engineering focus on measurement, business metrics and market opportunity. The power of leveraging technology platforms coupled with capturing and analyzing dynamic real estate data is leading to the Transformation of the Built Form.”

Practical Data Gathering

Real estate developers, building owners, managers and operators must consider these big picture ideas and how to turn them into practical use solutions to effectively address certain issues. For example, says Nic Morgan, Vice-President Business Development with Moran Solar, “Innovations in DC Microgrid systems are looking at ways of using low voltage DC power distribution for most standard electronics (computers, phones, lights, monitors, sensors, access control etc.), which opens up a new wealth of opportunities for monitoring, control and efficiency optimization. This is because the distribution systems will allow for every power connection to be independently monitored as a native feature of the system. Examples include Power over Ethernet (PoE) networks for power distribution, although other approaches to this are being rolled out or tested as well. This will allow building energy managers to monitor real time power consumption of every device in the building.”

Integrating sensor and non-sensor information is part of that process. Morgan further states that: “People consider the obvious: temperature and occupancy, but often overlook something as simple as light level sensors, and how it can be integrated into not just lighting, but also blind controllers – allowing a building to dynamically and efficiently ensure optimum indoor illumination with the minimum amount of energy required.”

But, he adds, “Building managers and operators need to holistically examine how different areas of their building are used.” They should be asking themselves if common areas are becoming more energy efficient because people aren’t using them as much, or because IOT management has successfully led to efficiency improvements.

Net Zero to Net Hero

Looking at a sustainable future requires action and strategies. Xavier Biot, Vice-President, Digital Energy & Power Products North American Operations for Schneider Electric address three main points:

• Strategize for Success “Begin with a comprehensive assessment of your buildings and overall portfolio and create a results-driven plan. Key elements include establishing a carbon baseline, leveraging digital tech to identify gaps, assessing feasibility, and modeling retrofit scenarios.”
• Digitize Your Energy Footprint “Centralize energy and resource usage data, including tracking embodied carbon and integrating data from Building Information Modeling (BIM) and utility sources.”
• Decarbonize for a Sustainable Future “Enhance energy efficiency and carbon reduction through a multifaceted approach. Begin by harnessing building and power management systems, tapping into space utilization data, and achieving peak equipment performance via predictive maintenance. Elevate optimization with real-time AI applications.”

He further adds that managers and operators need to invest in building infrastructure and system upgrades, encompassing HVAC enhancements, modernized electrical infrastructure, energy-efficient lighting retrofits, and the integration of innovative building or power management and automation systems. “Consider the integration of renewable energy sources for sustainable power generation,” he explains. “Mitigate embodied carbon by selecting eco-conscious, low or no-carbon products. Ensure long-term sustainability with circularity assessments and proactive equipment lifecycle maintenance measures.”

Harnessing the Data

AI and machine learning are critically dependent on leveraging large amounts of high-quality data. With a larger dataset, AI models better understand patterns, language, context, and user intent to generate more accurate outputs, says Hanna Elhamahmy, Marketing Lead with QEA Tech.

“Similarly, she adds, “harnessing data is integral to QEA Tech’s ability to accurately calculate energy loss and GHG emissions of each element of the building envelope. Having an abundance of data points enhances the ability of our proprietary AI-enabled software to analyze the building envelope and deliver detailed insights on the issues and energy loss from the envelope. We have worked diligently to capture over one million data points on various building envelopes, which greatly enhances our AI’s capabilities.”

One such method is the use of QEA Tech’s drones, which capture thousands of thermal and visual images of each building envelope that are scanned, and then translated into data points by our AI-backed software. “The outputs that we provide for customers includes the actual U-values or R-values of each building envelope element, gaps between current performance compared to building code, annual energy loss, and potential annual energy savings,” she explains.

Through the analysis of large volumes of data, QEA Tech makes data driven recommendations on building envelope resolutions and projected ROIs of projects. “With this data, our software has been able to discover over 20,000 tons of GHG emissions savings potential for our clients.”

Non-Energy Benefits

Implementing sustainable solutions in Smart Buildings offers a number of non-energy-related benefits, which focus around three key areas, sustainability, efficiency and people centricity, according to Biot.

“Buildings with smart technology can improve indoor air quality through systems that monitor and control humidity, temperature, and ventilation, which can lead to higher occupant satisfaction and improved health,” he says. “Enhanced comfort and productivity can also stem from optimized lighting and temperature settings, increasing job satisfaction, and boosting productivity. Occupant safety is heightened with advanced security measures such as access control, surveillance, and emergency response systems.”

Biot further explains that data-driven insights can help you optimize your space, in turn reducing costs and improving occupant experience. “Predictive maintenance minimizes downtime and extends equipment lifespan. Personalized user experiences through customized lighting and temperature settings improve satisfaction and comfort. Using data to make decisions guides how resources are allocated, identifies areas for improving efficiency, and shapes choices for future investments.”

Biot notes that intelligent building systems can also integrate disaster and emergency preparedness features, such as real-time monitoring of critical systems and rapid emergency response capabilities, enhancing the building’s resilience to unforeseen events. Moreover, many Smart Building solutions facilitate compliance with industry regulations and sustainability standards, simplifying reporting requirements and potentially leading to cost savings. “Collectively, non-energy advantages play a pivotal role in motivating organizations and individuals to adopt sustainable practices, ushering in environments that are not only more efficient but also healthier and more conducive to productive living and working,” says Biot.he building industry is at an inflection point when it comes to Smart Buildings/IoT operations. The future is already happening but with the right strategies and foresight, the ability to reduce carbon emissions while effectively implementing today’s emerging technologies can be effectively achieved for optimal impact and results.

Shortages and high employee turnover are substantial and long-term problems in the industrial cleaning sector. These problems are amplified by increasing service demands and high rates of workers exiting the sector (especially after how the pandemic put a strain on the labour force in the industry).

However, “We are in a profound moment of opportunity,” says the Mercer report on Global Talent Trends. Relatable organizations will win the talent game in challenging times so long as they create a workplace that is resilient, sustainable and attuned to the new shape of work. This is as true for the overall market as it is for the industrial cleaning industry.

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