FMJ.CO.UK SMART BUILDINGS FOCUS
JUNE 2020 33
automatically adjust as the temperature
changes outside. Lighting levels can
also be localised according to use of a
particular space and the natural light it
receives. LED technology not only saves
on energy consumption, but it can also
o er sophisticated colour and brightness
combinations to manage occupant comfort,
mood and improve sta concentration
and productivity. Human-centric lighting
seeks to optimise ideal circadian cycles by
reproducing daylight as closely as possible,
and adjusting automatically to maintain
that resemblance through di erent parts
of the day. It works by adjusting the light
colour quality - comprising correlated colour
temperature (CCT) and colour rendering - as
well as its intensity.
FIRE AND FALSE FIRE ALARMS
It is estimated that by 2020 UK PLC could
stand to lose as much as £10 billion to
commercial and industrial fires. In addition,
false fire alarms cost the UK economy
£1 billion a year.
The technology: Intelligent solutions aim
to determine the cause of the emission
enabling the system and its operators to
react accordingly. If the system detects
fumes such as cigarette smoke, deodorant
fumes, or burnt toast it can give the
operator time to manage the situation
before instigating a full alarm or building
evacuation and alerting the fire brigade.
This means that when the detector is
activated, occupants know that it’s a real
emergency.
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND CYBER
SECURITY
According to the Federation of Small
Businesses, business crime directly
a ects between a quarter and a third of
UK businesses annually. Business crimes
include anything from burglary and damage
to property, to financial crimes like fraud,
embezzlement and cyber crime. The 2018
Cyber Security Breaches Survey found 19
per cent of charities and 43 per cent of
businesses had reported cyber security
breaches or attacks in the preceding 12
months. The average financial impact each
time was £3,100 for businesses and £1,030
for charities.
The technology: Buildings can protect
against physical (rather than digital) crimes
with increasingly sophisticated security
systems. Improved pixelation can mean
images are captured quicker, and 360
degree cameras mean that one camera can
be used where several were once needed.
If a security operator needs to follow
someone’s movements, systems can
prompt the user as to which camera will
pick the subject up next. Such systems
are becoming increasingly intuitive and
therefore require less sta training – and
less time and money to implement.
Sophisticated access-control solutions
allow dynamic remote control of all
areas of a building, as well as user/visitor
identification. An interoperable system
of video surveillance, access control
and intrusion detection help security
personnel to view any area whenever
a door is opened or an alarm is
triggered. In order to protect
e ectively against cyber
threats, physical and
digital preventative
measures need to be
integrated. Physical
weakness can
potentially expose
a building to cyber
crime, and therefore
the first step to prevent
cyber attacks involves
general physical security
– including physical access
to the facility, organisational
measures such as security
policies, and monitoring the facility
for anomalies that could indicate a cyber
attack. Secure products and solutions
have been developed that can respond to
a fast, complex, and ever-changing threat
landscape. By adhering to the main pillars
of prevention, detection, and reaction,
products, solutions, and services are
continually developed to prevent and
respond to threats and attacks.
The benefits and potential savings of
smart building technology are one thing,
finding practical, a ordable and sustainable
ways of achieving smart-building conversion
is another.
Pioneering landlords and owneroccupiers
are therefore increasingly looking
to solutions whereby the supplier of a
“service” such as smart-building conversion
deploys financial techniques that remove
the need to devote own capital, bundling
the conversion into a monthly fee across
an agreed-upon contractual period. In
other words these financing arrangements
harness future energy savings in
order to pay up front for the
technology that enables such
savings in the first place,
as well as other smart
building advantages. This
is leading to the rise of
a concept called “Smart
Buildings as a Service,”
sometimes called
“servitisation.”
The benefi ts and potential
savings of smart building
technology are one thing,
fi nding practical, aff ordable and
sustainable ways of achieving
smart-building conversion
These are just a few
examples of the many
challenges faced by building
owners that can be managed
with smart building technology.
Nevertheless, making the initial
investment in such systems is itself a
challenge. Luckily, smart finance solutions
exist that make the investment sustainable
and harness the savings made to make
smart building technologies accessible.
To learn more ways that smart building
technologies can impact your business see
our report: www.siemens.co.uk/finance/
costofnotinvesting
is another.”
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