Communities and regions are increasingly adopting smart technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to better manage infrastructure and improve the quality of life for residents. The BroadbandUSA January 15, 2020 webinar, The Benefits of Smart Building Technology, focused on smart buildings use cases, the underlying technology that supports them, and the benefits achieved. Smart buildings, a key part of a smart community, provide a number of benefits including energy efficiency, improved use of building resources, and increased productivity of occupants.
Limor Schafman, Senior Director of the Smart Building Program at the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) discussed her work with the Global City Teams Challenge, which works to bring together industry, universities, non-profits and governments to share knowledge and best practices on smart community technologies. TIA defines smart buildings as a building that “uses an interoperable set of technology, systems and infrastructure to optimize building performance and occupant experience.” There are many layers of infrastructure in a smart building, from fiber and wireless connectivity to interoperable systems and data. Schafman emphasized that smart buildings are the building blocks of smart cities by supporting resiliency, wellness, sustainability, and connectedness goals set by communities.
Jiri Skopek, Board of Governors Vice-Chair for 2030 Districts Network, said that smart buildings have a number of stakeholders: owners, corporate tenants, building management, and occupants. Addressing each groups’ needs is a key driver in the adoption of smart buildings. For an occupant, smart buildings make life easier by automatically adjusting temperature and lighting based on the time of day or other factors. For tenants and building operators, there are bottom line benefits from a reduction in energy usage and lower operating costs. Smart building data can provide insights on equipment maintenance and capital budgeting. Building owners can see a better return on investment and less risk.
Benny Lee, Director of San Mateo County Public Wi-Fi, discussed the evolution of instant communications and how it fits in with smart buildings. Network environments and control policies are crucial to supporting scalability and efficiency of communication technology in smart buildings, Lee said, noting the benefits of wireless technology in smart buildings. Wireless infrastructure requires less equipment since devices can be connected and managed from one location. Wireless technology allows building operators to leverage more IoT devices to support asset tracking and management.
To listen to the webinar, visit the BroadbandUSA website. BroadbandUSA hosts monthly webinars on broadband access, broadband utilization and digital inclusion. Follow us on Twitter @NTIAgov to get updates on NTIA and BroadbandUSA’s work.