Adapting Building Systems Without a Full Teardown
It’s easier to build a commercial smart building from the ground up, but what if you operate older buildings? You don’t want to choose between keeping an outdated building and shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a full overhaul.
IoT in commercial buildings offers a more flexible path to modernization. You can install IoT sensors and networks that integrate with your existing systems to make your building smarter without replacing all the technological infrastructure.
Getting One View Across Disconnected Building Systems
Facility managers often have to consult multiple systems separately to see the big picture across a building. Smart building solutions improve monitoring conditions across a commercial building portfolio. IoT bridges disconnected automation systems into a single view.
Choosing a platform that also offers data analytics enables your building managers to identify trends and potential anomalies that spur action before costly problems arise. Attune’s system of IoT sensors monitor your energy, gas, water, and occupancy to improve building performance. Our advanced analytics help you make systemwide changes to improve tenant comfort and enhance energy efficiency.
Winning and Keeping Tenants With the Right Technology
Tenants are looking for technology in commercial real estate. If you don’t update your tech, you can lose tenants to a competitor with the smart building solutions your tenants want. Buildings with automated HVAC and smart lighting let your tenants customize their environments based on their preferred comfort levels.
Predictive sensors help catch plumbing and equipment failures sooner, which can improve tenant satisfaction. Smart technology not only helps you attract new tenants but also retain your favorites.
Catching Equipment Issues Before They Become Costly Repairs
As technology has evolved, building managers have learned why catching issues early costs less than reactive repairs. Smart building solutions with AI and predictive analytics measures vibration, humidity levels, and other data that could signal a potential plumbing or HVAC failure.
You can fix these issues earlier to prevent small problems from creating large-scale emergencies that upset your tenants and drain your bank account.
Turning Smart Building Investment Into Rent Premiums
Tenants who want a strong technology infrastructure in place will pay more for the amenities. Smart building systems that help manage your energy and water use help decrease your operating costs, which improves your net operating income (NOI).
You end up allocating less of your profits from rent premiums into operating costs, which often translates to more revenue.
Some of your tech-savvy tenants may also install their own tech additions, which could further improve your property value, but pay attention to return on investment numbers to avoid overinvesting in tech.
Meeting ESG and Sustainability Reporting Demands
If you’re operating a building that’s LEED Accredited, Fitwel certified, or carries another certification, you need regular operating reports. These reports also satisfy ESG requirements for tenants and potential clients who want transparency about how you’re meeting sustainability goals.
Smart building systems make it easy to access and transmit necessary reporting data for investors, tenants, and regulatory agencies. Check out some green building certifications worth considering if your building isn’t currently certified.
Building a Foundation for Portfolio-Wide Automation
A plug-and-play IoT and cloud-based solution like Attune lets you scale data collection and reporting across your whole building portfolio. Tracking asset conditions across your building portfolio helps you manage and operate each building more effectively. Your team can use predictive analytics to anticipate equipment failures and allocate resources effectively.
You can also plan routine maintenance, repairs, and upgrades in a way that minimizes downtime and doesn’t disrupt daily activities.
FAQ
What Makes a Building a Smart Building?
Buildings are considered smart buildings when they use digital technology to automate parts of building operations. This includes using sensors and automated software to control building systems based on current conditions. For example, in a smart building, lights automatically turn on or off based on occupancy.
What Are the Downsides of Smart Buildings?
Because smart building technology is connected to the internet, smart buildings pose higher cybersecurity risks. There is also a high upfront cost to adding smart technology to a building. You can choose solutions that work with your existing infrastructure to reduce these costs.
What Does Building Automation Mean in Practice?
In practice, building automation uses a centralized platform to monitor and manage HVAC, air quality, water quality, electrical, and security systems. Each separate system transmits data to the building management system or another platform that adjusts various systems, such as lighting controls or heating.
What Technologies Are Commonly Used in Smart Buildings?
Smart systems often use IoT in commercial buildings with small sensors or other devices that track temperature, air quality, and other data. Smart commercial buildings also use cloud computing to connect sensors to the centralized platform for data analysis. Artificial intelligence and machine learning analyze data to detect patterns and trends for data-driven decision-making.
Bringing it All Together Across Your Portfolio
Technology in commercial real estate is advancing and transforming building management and maintenance. Smart building solutions help you manage your team more efficiently. A centralized view of your building portfolio lets you plan schedules and allocate workers based on your priorities instead of reacting to every emergency.
Attune provides a network of sensors you can deploy to collect and analyze data that makes your building smarter. Our solution works with your existing infrastructure, and it’s easy to scale as you add or remove assets. We offer analytics and data visualizations that help you understand how each building is performing.
Contact us today to learn how you can make your buildings smarter without starting from the ground up.
