FOCUS SMART BUILDINGS
Mark McLoughlin, Key Account Manager for Siemens Industries and Markets and Siemens Financial Services explains
why it pays to invest in the latest smart building technology
There are a number of external factors
that can impact the success and
productivity of your business, and you
might think many are outside of your
control. But there is technology available
to mitigate four key issues; rising energy
costs, false alarm, sta absence and
criminal activity.
RISING ENERGY COSTS
Research suggests that businesses may be
paying 50 per cent more in 2020 for power
than they were in 2016. Since energy is a
necessary expense, businesses may find
they are unable to invest in activities such
as developing new product lines, employing
new sta or acquiring new equipment,
because funds are needed to meet rising
energy costs.
The technology: Non-domestic buildings
are responsible for between 10 per cent
and 15 per cent of carbon emissions.
Smart buildings have the potential to save
approximately 15 per cent to 25 per cent on
32 JUNE 2020
energy costs.
Smart controls give buildings a “central
nervous system” that balance and reconcile
competing interests such as energy
minimisation, occupant comfort and grid
stability. Today, fire protection, climate
control, ventilation, lighting and video
surveillance are o en controlled separately.
Modern, sophisticated management
stations, on the other hand, allow all
building systems to be integrated into a
single platform. Return on investment (ROI)
from smart building controls will vary,
depending on external climate, cost of
power, and other factors. For example, our
research shows that in the manufacturing
sector cost savings from energy
optimisation programmes are in the region
of at least 25 per cent, compared with just
six per cent actually achieved from reduced
energy usage in UK manufacturing in the
last five years.
ILLNESS AND STAFF ABSENCE
Sick sta cost British firms £77 billion
annually in lost productivity. Presenteeism
– when employees feel obliged to remain at
work while sick – leads to added pressure
and anxiety for workers, and potentially
increased sickness levels as germs spread
around the workplace.
The technology: There are a number of
building technologies designed to improve
the mental and physical wellbeing of
occupants. Produced by UK Green Building
Council and issued by the World Green
Building Council, a report entitled ‘Health,
wellbeing and productivity in o ices: the
next chapter for green building’ highlights
that good indoor air quality and lighting
conditions, thermal comfort, and the
minimisation of unwanted noise are among
the key elements of healthy and productive
workplaces.
Smart building management systems
can help to meet these requirements,
for example by controlling a building’s
temperature, varying it across di erent
rooms or areas, depending on its use
and the desire of its occupants. This can