Building Intelligence covers a wide range of tools that help building operators and supporting technicians identify and resolve issues within a building. Read more at http://blog.mckenneys.com/2020/05/building-intelligence-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters/

1. Building Intelligence: What it is and Why it Matters

2. When was the last time you lost a set of keys or your wallet? When
faced with this situation, many people wish for a tool that would
identify the unknown location of their lost possessions. Similarly, many
building operators want a tool that identifies the location of unknown
problems within their buildings.
Building Intelligence tools are here to help!

3. What is Building Intelligence?
Building Intelligence covers a wide range of tools that help building
operators and supporting technicians identify and resolve issues within
a building. These tools can be referred to by multiple names, including
fault detection, building analytics, continuous commissioning or energy
management.

4. Depending on their scope, Building Intelligence tools can monitor
building usage, diagnose faulty equipment operation, identify systems
that are not working as designed and recommend energy-saving
measures for the building. The tools can range from as simple as a
warning message regarding regular maintenance for a piece of
equipment to a complex artificial intelligence system recommending
systematic changes for a more efficient operation.
These tools can be a part of the building’s control system, a cloud-
based product, a third-party solution or a mixture.

5. How does Building Intelligence help buildings?
Building owners and operators benefit from Building Intelligence tools
in multiple ways. First and foremost, Building Intelligence tools raise
awareness about the operation of the building. Building owners can
monitor building operation via key performance indicators (KPI’s) and
can make management decisions based on these metrics.

6. Building engineers and operational staff can monitor equipment trends
and historical data, allowing them to make operational decisions based
on the findings.
Building Intelligence tools can also help reduce the time for building
operational staff to identify issues within the building’s systems. The
tools can help staff understand which building problems can be
addressed in-house, and which problems may require expert
assistance. The tools may also uncover underlying issues that the
operational staff may not be aware of including issues caused by the
building occupants not requesting maintenance or building system
problems.
The Building Intelligence tools can also identify energy optimizations.
These optimizations can vary from simple setpoint adjustments to
complex system performance recommendations.

7. Although these insights may not be as thorough or as applicable as
expert-guided system optimizations, building owners and operators can
still recognize energy savings by evaluating or implementing the energy
recommendations.

8. What are some considerations before implementing a Building
Intelligence solution?
As there are many Building Intelligence solutions available on the
market, a few considerations should be made before implementation.
The building management staff should be aware of and comfortable
with the tools that they will be using. Several solution providers offer
multiple optional modules, such as energy meter monitoring, HVAC
fault detection and occupant counting, so only the applicable modules
of what the building management staff can monitor should be selected.
Some Building Intelligence tools require the building management staff
to dive into the equipment to identify issues, while other tools may
automatically provide insights to the building operators. The building
management staff should be aware of their role in the Building
Analytics solution before it is implemented.

9. How can I get more out of my Building Intelligence solution?
Building operators should follow a regular schedule of checking
equipment in the Building Intelligence solution (not just when tenants
complain or when faults are raised). Operators should be cautious of
“false alarm” insights, as too many can dilute the perceived utility of
the platform.
The Building Intelligence solution can also be valuable when paired with
professional expertise. Service technicians can use the platform to
troubleshoot a variety of issues and building management staff can
learn from experts about the meaning of certain messages. Although
Building Intelligence tools should never be a replacement for routine
maintenance, the tools can be instrumental in the proper operation of
buildings, especially when used to their full extent on a regular basis.

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