Opinion column published on August 2, 2024 in Smart City Mag.

By Alexandre Fund, Smart Building Director, , Kardham Digital.

“The smart building concept refers to the integration of active and passive energy management solutions, aimed at optimizing consumption, but also promoting the comfort and safety of building users while complying with current regulations.” (DRIEE). It’s an all-encompassing concept, all aimed at enhancing occupant satisfaction and performance.

However, for these systems to be able to function effectively and add value, interoperability is essential. It enables heterogeneous systems to work together, avoiding technological and information silos. This is what we call harmony, in its original sense of harmózô, meaning to join, to make coincide, to adapt, to fit together.

Interoperability: bringing together the different systems of the smart building

A smart building is made up of several systems, such as those dedicated to energy management, security devices, environmental sensors and asset management solutions. The simple fact is that these systems do not communicate with each other, as they are installed and managed independently of each other. This is problematic, since the ability to make these systems interact smoothly and coherently is a key performance driver for office real estate. By performance, we mean the ability of this type of asset to optimize operating costs while satisfying occupant comfort. This is the equation that intelligent buildings address through their ability to learn, react and predict.

Interoperability means bringing the different systems together. In many traditional buildings, the absence of dialogue between systems limits the overall efficiency of the building, since the information each system manages is not confronted with that of other systems. On the contrary, in an interoperable Smart Building, these systems are integrated, enabling centralized, coordinated management. For example, data from presence sensors can be used to automatically adjust lighting and temperature, improving occupant comfort while reducing energy consumption.

However, the informational crossroads that interoperability aims to achieve must not be achieved at the expense of safety. The more information is captured, the greater the cyber threat. Data cybersecurity is a crucial issue for intelligent buildings. Data exchanges between systems potentially increase vulnerability. It is therefore imperative to implement robust security protocols to protect sensitive data. This includes encryption of communications, strong authentication of devices, and continuous monitoring of systems to detect and neutralize any threats in real time.

Aiming for interoperability in smart buildings is therefore an ambition to harmonize systems.

Interoperability creates value for all stakeholders

Interoperability in Smart Buildings creates value not only for the real estate industry, but also for organizations and occupants. The value of an asset naturally remains the foundation of any real estate issue. In a competitive market, any source of asset enhancement is seen as a strategic investment. An intelligent building increases its value and attractiveness on the market. Owners and investors today consider that an additional premium dedicated to this type of building is relevant in the sense that it offers efficient management and reduced operating costs. Energy is a key issue, especially in a context of rising costs. When systems work together, the offer generated by the building meets in real time the demand generated by use and occupancy. Adjusting offer and demand results in substantial financial savings and a reduced carbon footprint. In this situation, commercial real estate enters a virtuous cycle on the scale of the asset itself, but also on the scale of the urban fabric, with each asset constituting a part of it.

On the occupants’ side, value hinges on comfort and use. Comfort is the first expectation of building occupants. We’re talking here first and foremost about physical comfort, i.e. the ability to enjoy satisfactory, stable and pleasant environmental conditions that can be automatically adjusted to suit occupant preferences and external environmental conditions. Functional comfort is also taken into consideration, particularly in terms of the user experience. With occupants able to anticipate their arrival, presence and spatial needs, functional comfort improves, with the possibility of coming to the office to do a good job. In the context of hybrid work, this dimension is one of the answers to the added value of on-site presence. Finally, we’re also talking about psychological comfort, since numerous studies have shown that control over the work environment is a source of satisfaction and perceived good performance. With an interoperable intelligent building, users have greater control over the conditions in which they occupy the building. The capitalization of usage data, made possible by the interoperability of systems, then constitutes valuable material to ensure the predictive operation of the building. This harmonization of systems creates value for everyone, from the owner to the end user.

Interoperability is therefore the central pillar that enables an intelligent building to realize its full potential. It is orchestrated by a convergence platform, called BOS (Building Operating System), which ensures fluid communication between the various building systems, and performs the monitoring, automation and optimization roles essential to a building’s performance. The dialogue between the various systems, which defines interoperability, is a question of harmony at the service of all stakeholders. “Balancing everything is good. Putting everything in harmony is better”, said Victor Hugo…

Link to Kardham Digital solutions in connection with the article :

KD Convergence : https://www.kardham-digital.com/solution/b-o-s/

KD Cockpit : https://www.kardham-digital.com/solution/gestion-intelligente-du-batiment/

KD Unify : https://www.kardham-digital.com/solution/application-servicielle/