How Do You Turn a Building Into a Smart Building?

Technology continuously shapes the way we live and work, so it’s no surprise that the concept of smart buildings is gaining significant momentum in modern architecture.

However, it’s not just new buildings that can get in on the action. As technology evolves, it’s becoming more convenient than ever to retrofit an older building to make it smarter. The team at Skylytics can help you determine the energy harvesting technologies that are right for your goals, no matter how old your building is. 

Know the Features Of A Smart Building

Smart buildings leverage Internet of Things (IoT) devices to automate operations, improve property management capabilities, and more. These devices are typically interconnected through a central platform. The integration of these features brings several benefits, including:

• Energy Efficiency: Significantly reduce energy consumption, leading to cost savings.
• Longer Equipment Lifespan: Determine when important building components require preventative maintenance.
• Better Occupancy Rates: Identify when your building is being used most or decide whether to continue or discontinue a lease. 
• Improved Comfort: Create a more comfortable environment by automating the heating, air conditioning, lighting, and more.
• Sustainability: Achieve green certifications and benefit the environment while also enhancing the building's market value.

Have Clear Goals for Your Smart Building

In order to maximize your efforts, it’s important to develop a plan and define your priorities upfront. While many of these goals intersect, knowing what’s most important to you can help provide direction. 

Energy Reduction

Excess energy usage can cause overhead costs to skyrocket. If you’re trying to curb long-term costs, analyze your current energy usage and set specific targets for reduction. You can also take the opportunity to implement energy-efficient HVAC systems, lighting controls, and renewable energy sources as part of your strategy.

Green Certifications

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system world-wide. Achieving green certifications like LEED demonstrates your commitment to sustainability. They can also improve your building's environmental performance while attracting environmentally conscious tenants and investors. If going green is part of your overall business plan, this may be an area of focus for your retrofit. 

User Experience

Both residential and commercial buildings need to consider the user experience in their design. The right smart technology allows you to provide personalized climate control, automate routine tasks, and improve overall satisfaction among occupants. Consider the ways you can improve the experience of using the building and implement technologies to help achieve your goals for maximizing comfort. 

Occupancy Rates

Many businesses can benefit from knowing how many people are using a building or room, and when. Understanding your peak hours can help with automating parking, lighting, temperature, and more. It can also help you determine whether to end a lease or sell a property based on how often it’s being used. 

Consider Your Infrastructure

In many cases, transforming a building into a smart one requires you to consider the current systems you have in place. You’ll want to ensure that the technology you install can integrate with your current infrastructure. 

Rewiring and Modifying 

Retrofitting older buildings with sensors may involve extensive rewiring and structural modifications, which can be costly and disruptive. 

However, wireless energy harvesting sensors from Skylytics and EnOcean eliminate the need for rewiring or permanent changes to the building. This makes retrofitting more feasible–even if you don’t own the building–and lowers installation costs by more than 25%. 

Integrating Current Systems

You likely already have systems in place for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), security systems (CCTV), and more. When you install smart technology, you want to choose options that’ll integrate with (or even enhance) your current systems. This is especially true if you already have an IoT infrastructure. Skylytics dashboards, for example, can help you integrate your current data and systems seamlessly.

Monitor Your Smart Building Data

To fully benefit from a smart building, you need to have a good handle on the data. Skylytics offers advanced dashboards and data analysis tools that provide real-time insights into your building's efficiency, occupancy rates, or anything else you want to monitor. These tools enable you to identify areas for improvement and optimize performance at every level.

The Skylytics team will work with you directly to identify your specific needs and build a dashboard where your most important data can live in one place. 

Should I Retrofit My Building with Smart Tech?

The question of whether to retrofit your building with smart technology is a matter of "if,” not, "when." The trend is quickly moving towards greater connectivity, sustainability, and efficiency. Transforming your building into a smart one can help you stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape while also contributing to a more sustainable future.

Do I Need to Own the Building to Make it Smart?

When you work with Skylytics, you don’t need to own the building to benefit from smart building technology. Our energy harvesting sensors are completely wire-free and don’t require you to make any permanent changes to the space. 

Make Your Building Smart with Skylytics

Turning a building into a smart building is an investment that can improve all areas of your business. With current technology, structures of any age can be easily retrofitted to benefit from automation, IoT technologies, and data analytics.  

Are you ready to bring your building into the future? Whether you own or lease your space, Skylytics offers the tools and expertise to guide you. Contact us today!

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