Are smart buildings and operational safety mutually exclusive? While smart buildings undoubtedly offer new opportunities for efficiency, comfort and sustainability, they also place increased demands on operational safety. Careful planning is essential.
The digitalisation of real estate is progressing. In line with the bauen digital/buildingSMART Switzerland step-by-step plan, buildings are increasingly being constructed with networked systems. These so-called smart buildings utilise the principles of the Internet of Things (IoT) and are equipped with a large number of sensors and networked devices.
Smart buildings and their advantages
Everyone involved benefits from this: Property owners can operate the building more efficiently, which benefits both the tenants and the environment. Easier said than done. The right strategies need to be developed to utilise big data, artificial intelligence and self-learning systems. At the same time, modern buildings must be economical throughout their entire life cycle, not only during construction but also during operation. In the area of homes, known as smart homes, the control of lighting, climate and sun protection via an integrated system is now widespread, for example. Replacing video/intercom systems with smartphones and being able to monitor and optimise your own energy consumption online is (still) the exception. The smart office offers additional added value for the operator, for example by using sensors and a corresponding app to clean only the workstations and meeting rooms that are actually used. The user also has access to an app. It regulates access, enables the reservation of workstations, meeting rooms or visitor car parks or shows how long the queue is in the staff restaurant.
Smart buildings require networked systems
However, for such applications to work, the systems used must be networked. And this is sometimes the biggest challenge of smart buildings. Even in the residential sector, this interconnectivity usually requires more than ten technical interfaces. Data that is important for operation is transmitted via up to four interfaces, including some sensitive tenant data. In larger buildings, most systems require a server and are connected to the internet.
And operational safety?
The construction industry is focussing on the continuity of the value chain in the planning and realisation of buildings. Unfortunately, little attention has yet been paid to how smart buildings can be operated safely and economically. This is because the operation of smart buildings is significantly more complex than that of conventional buildings:
- The failure of a networked system can lead to a comprehensive failure of the building technology.
- Troubleshooting cross-system faults is extremely time-consuming.
- When updating system applications, the technical interface must be adapted in individual cases.
- The caretaker in charge is often overwhelmed by the complex system landscape, which can lead to operating errors and unresolvable failures.
Equally important is sophisticated cybersecurity to protect systems, networks, programs and data from unauthorised access, cyberattacks, data theft or damage. Particularly in view of the new Swiss Data Protection Act, a lot can go wrong when it comes to data protection and data security.
Safety-critical challenge
When changing tenants, for example, it is important to ensure that the new tenant does not have access to the previous tenant's sensitive data under any circumstances. When using commercially available tablets, it must be ensured that the camera and microphone are not used in the background without authorisation. Sensitive data must be correctly encrypted to prevent misuse. Software updates must be carried out at off-peak times wherever possible and without disrupting the overall system.
Apart from this, end-to-end system networking also poses other challenges. For example, the failure of the Internet can lead to the failure of important building technology (e.g. lighting, heating). Tenant communication is also often more demanding. In the residential sector in particular, older or disabled residents are often overwhelmed by the operation and use of smart systems, which quickly leads to increased costs for the operator and management. To ensure operational safety, it is also crucial that the systems used are reliable and durable.
A good example of this is the classic light switch, which has been in service for over 30 years without any problems. In contrast, the touchscreen of a smart home application has a much shorter service life - it reaches the end of its service life after 15 years at the latest, although the first failures can occur after just 10 years. It is even more serious if the system supplier discontinues support for the system after just a few years due to "end of support". As such systems usually become unusable, for example due to a lack of security updates, they must be replaced.
Principles for planning and commissioning
Even when planning smart buildings, the following principle must apply: "Not everything that is technically possible is also sensible and smart." Here is an example: Does the use of digital nameplates on letterboxes really make sense if a technical interface is required to transfer tenant names, but experience shows that only around 10 per cent of tenants change every year? Smart use cases should therefore be critically scrutinised as early as the planning phase, ideally with the support of the operator and management.
Clarification of data and interface sovereignty is also highly relevant. It is important to clearly define the responsibility for the operation and testing of technical interfaces before they are created and to clearly regulate the necessary processes. This can prevent the various system suppliers from blaming each other in the event of problems with the interfaces.
Furthermore, a technical network should be provided as a basic communication structure as part of the building automation planning. This enables secure and regulated exchange between the systems as well as connection to the Internet. When it comes to data security, it is worth working with professionals to set up a data strategy that takes security aspects, data protection legislation and data governance into account. The smart office and smart living systems currently available on the market often come from small system suppliers who have only recently established themselves on the market. As part of the system tendering process, it is necessary for these suppliers to confirm compliance with the currently applicable data protection laws.
Last but not least, when commissioning and accepting smart buildings, it is crucial to ensure that the systems work together smoothly in all operating modes. In addition to comprehensive testing, this also includes testing in offline mode. This means checking how the systems behave in the event of an internet outage or the failure of individual systems.
We must be aware that the digital transformation and the associated technological developments are progressing inexorably. Today, digital components are integrated into every major construction project. The costs can increase significantly if this is done in an uncoordinated manner and without taking into account the operational organisation or the needs of the users.
The question is therefore not so much whether a smart building will be built, but rather how it will be realised. As soon as a certain number of digital use cases are planned, it makes sense to develop an overarching concept for them with the help of recognised specialists and to clarify the fundamental questions in advance.
Smart buildings are the foundation of the networked world of tomorrow. pom+ supports you in the planning and definition of digital use cases so that the ordering of intelligent buildings and their integration into your own property portfolio becomes a matter of course.