Future-proofing and smart-readiness
Future-proofing buildings are resilient, adaptable and sustainable over time. A key factor is smart-readiness — the building's ability to sense, interpret, communicate and respond efficiently to changing conditions, environments and occupants' needs.
Key elements for achieving successful future-proofing of modern buildings
- Modern buildings should be constructed with sustainable materials, provide good indoor environmental quality and be energy-efficient.
- The key is to have a well-insulated building with a reliable building system to provide cost-balanced results.
- The building and all systems should be controlled based on occupancy and demand, with air quality parameters as vital.
- All active building components are then connected to cloud services for monitoring, analysis and troubleshooting.
- Identification of building-related problems should be able to access remotely for swift responses.
- Digitalisation is key to create and maintain a well-functioning HVAC building system during both the design and operational phases.
- The rapid evolution of remote data and digital systems can lower costs, decrease man-hours and make people more satisfied—from building owners to tenants.
Data transforms modern buildings – We share HVAC expertise
We cannot foresee the future, but we can take significant steps to prepare for it - especially when it comes to constructing modern buildings, ensuring a good indoor climate and achieving energy efficiency across all building systems. We focus on ensuring the results with future-proofing buildings using monitoring of HVAC systems with remote access leading to pptimising functionalities for indoor climate and energy efficiency in buildings.
Read our Update&Insight 'Data transforms modern buildings – We share HVAC expertise'
"We live in a world where people and technology meet. Technology alone does not optimise a building. Monitoring data alone does not drive efficiency. Without people, there would be no high performing HVAC building systems. We need the knowledge and skills of people who fine-tune the building's operation and provide meaningful results."
— Excerpt from the Swegon Air Academy webinar: 'The Blue House with green ambitions - The importance of monitoring advanced HVAC systems to optimise energy efficiency and indoor climate'
The role of the EPBD and the SRI
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) is a policy initiative from the EU Commission under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) that measures your building’s ability to use smart technologies. These technologies support decarbonization and offer more comfortable and efficient indoor environments.
The EPBD Recast, supported by the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI), envisions buildings as integrated energy systems — capable of producing, using and storing energy while providing a healthy and comfortable indoor environment through effective HVAC systems and advanced building services.
The SRI is a common and standardised European framework to assess building smartness, and it includes a binding legal framework and a flexible technical model that is adaptable to Member States.
What is the building's smartness?
The buildings need to communicate and actively change operations based on the efficiency of their technical building systems, external weather and energy conditions, and based on building occupants' preferences and needs.
What are smart buildings for?
- Smart buildings are responsive and can adapt operations and processes to fulfil many needs.
- Building smartness has a wider impact on the environment around and within a building.
- It is the key to healthier and more comfortable buildings with lower energy use and carbon emissions while facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources into the energy system.
Smart-ready buildings addressing people's needs and meeting tomorrow's challenges
Linking buildings with smart technologies across Europe achieves multiple goals: reduced energy bills, improved health, lower emissions and protection of the environment.
Smart building technologies like automation and electronic monitoring of systems promotes innovation in construction, energy efficiency optimisation, and adaptation of building operations to suit the occupant's needs.
Smart-ready technologies can help improve occupants' comfort and buildings' energy consumption
- Occupancy detection sensors help improve air quality and save energy.
- Providing information to occupants about the energy consumption of each technical building system can stimulate responsible behaviours.
- Fault detection systems can support the effective maintenance of building systems.
- Heating, cooling, and domestic hot water systems can be operated based on signals from the grid to provide flexible services without decreasing occupant comfort.
"When it comes to decarbonisation and smartness in buildings, the whole is more than the sum of the parts."
— Building conversations up with Pablo Carnero Melero, Technical and EU Project Officer - REHVA.
Wire-free buildings are the future
Wireless technology offers significant advantages and creates new ecosystems that bring new possibilities. Wireless technology also offers increased flexibility, as well as easier installation and refurbishment, and enables new applications and services.
Sustainability aims to ensure that all (new and existing) buildings become energy-efficient and connected; however, the aspects of installing all necessary cables pose significant challenges.
Today, there is an exponential increase in products connected and used in buildings, as the vast majority of data is collected and used to ensure a good indoor climate in buildings.
Cables are the biggest enemy for energy-efficient, sustainable, green buildings
The exciting changes have one thing in common — technology, which means innovation is accelerating.
New building directives and standards, such as the EPBD and the 2030 goal, are putting the indoor environment more into focus than before.
And that is when smart buildings, the Internet of Things (IoT), and wireless communication become critical elements for sustainable buildings.
'When wireless is perfectly applied, the whole earth will turn into a huge brain.'
— Nikola Tesla, Inventor and Engineer, 1926
Challenges and potentials with going wireless
Buildings are equipped with comprehensive systems, ranging from various systems that provide a healthy indoor climate to efficient construction processes and all wireless technology.
However, there are still some challenges, such as the risk of interference with other networks and posing problems with connectivity solutions in future. Furthermore, so far, battery-powered storage and the electricity grid have some limitations, and further development is expected. And range (link chain to relay), security (encryption), installation, and maintenance (including updates).
Wireless technology offers significant advantages and creates new ecosystems that bring new possibilities. Wireless products may be now more expensive than cable equipment, but other costs (installation, maintenance, troubleshooting) are much lower compared to wireless technology. Wireless technology offers increased flexibility, ease of installation and refurbishment, as well as new applications and services.
Wireless in the future
Increasing amounts of data will be collected in buildings, and buildings will become increasingly smarter with their use. There is a need to prepare for even more exponential technological development and to manage the changes and various applications in smart buildings in the foreseeable future.
'The same amount of change we experienced in the past 20,000 years, we will experience in the coming 100 years!'
— Ray Kurzweil, Inventor and Futurist, Head of Google R&D
Smart buildings to the rescue: Wire-free buildings are the future & cables are enemies
What is a smart building? Is it a sustainable, energy-efficient, green and connected building? Is it a building that can respond to human-driven requirements, or a building that collects data that can be used for building services and tenants? Wireless technology offers significant advantages and creates new ecosystems that bring new possibilities. Cables are the biggest enemy for energy-efficient, sustainable, green buildings. The exciting changes have one thing in common — technology, which means innovation is accelerating. Changes will happen: first gradually — then suddenly.
Read our Update&Insight 'Smart buildings to the rescue'
The smartness of buildings should be a means to an end and not a goal in its own right. Smartness should serve the purpose of providing with a better building in terms of energy performance, health, convenience, etc.Stijn Verbeke