What is an intelligent building?

What is an intelligent building?Intelligent building

In answering the question, “What is an intelligent building?” the answer can be difficult to quantify. This is because the technology is constantly in flux and evolving at a tremendously fast rate. Networks Product, Inc. is proud to be at the forefront of this technology as a partner in the development of intelligent building solutions.

Table Of Contents:

The Nature of Intelligent Buildings

The idea of an intelligent building is not a new one, but there is not a universal definition of what this concept means. However, most agree that intelligent building technology is focused on providing as environmentally safe and energy efficient a structure as possible. In addition, they are designed to provide optimum comfort for the inhabitants whether the building is their residence or office. The cost savings and comfort that they provide is intended to provide the answer to the question of what is an intelligent building.

Designing Intelligent Building Systems

At Networks Product, Inc., we work with our clients to design the optimum intelligent building system for their needs. We can build them literally from the ground up or retrofit existing buildings. Cost, need, practicality, and materials availability are some of the factors we consider when making our recommendation of which solution is best for our clients. Another consideration is the future needs of our clients and how they might change or scale.

Hardware Considerations

In planning and designing what is an intelligent building for each client, one must consider hardware needs. They can vary considerably from one company to the next but some overlap. Primarily, hardware for intelligent buildings will include what is necessary to monitor environmental conditions, including the electrical system. For instance, if a room is empty of staff, the air conditioning may be reduced or turned off. The same is true for heating. For optimum efficiency, the building’s various systems are connected together which allows for a seamless integration and ease of monitoring. A smart building’s management or owner can remotely access the systems and override any setting as necessary. They can do this with a simple Internet connection, web browser, and a cell phone, tablet, or desktop computer.

The building’s hardware most often includes:

  • Motion detectors;
  • Closed-captioning television cameras;
  • Occupancy sensors; and
  • RFID scanners.

The Future

Because the technology is developing at an extremely fast pace, in the future the idea of what is an intelligent building may look very different from what we experience today. With software, hardware, and building materials constantly evolving and improving, intelligent buildings will reflect those changes with additional increases in efficiency, comfort, and flexible design. At Network Products, Inc. we place great emphasis on the evolving needs of our clients and what they would like to see available in intelligent building technology. We believe that technology should develop in response to what our clients want versus forcing our clients to use only what is currently available for the unforeseen future.

What is Intelligent Building?

As technology advances, intelligent building design becomes more common and may likely be the standard in the not too distant future. If you are planning to construct a new building, incorporating intelligent building functionality may greatly enhance its investment value. If you are upgrading an existing building, retrofitting it for intelligent building functionality may reduce the need for future upgrades, thus realizing a cost saving over time. At Network Products Inc. (NPI), we work with customers whose circumstances widely vary but who can benefit from smart technology.

NPI specialists review the current and anticipated needs of new customers to determine the optimum intelligent building design to meet their goals. We also consider budgets and scalability. We make every effort to maximize the customer’s immediate and long term return on investment. To this end, we assist companies in determining priorities to ensure they do not go over budget. Contact us to learn how we can help you reach and maintain your company goals.

What are examples of an intelligent building?

When you speak with one of our NPI specialists, you can gain a greater understanding of how your company’s needs may be met by an intelligent building design. Here are five examples of intelligent building design:

1.    Improved facility security. An intelligent building design leverages its ability to tie into a network to provide real time security. Autonomous and automated software features integrated with hardware can enable little to no human intervention. An NPI specialist can build out a functionality-rich feature set that can include visitor management services that uses an email client for registration. In addition, wireless intrusion detection solutions are becoming must-haves for many companies.

2.    Optimized heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Utility bills often represent the lion’s share of a company’s operating costs. An intelligent building design reduces these costs by monitoring, automating, and controlling HVAC systems. The key is that a smart system will take into consideration current air temperatures, humidity level, time of day, vacation schedules and company closures to calculate optimal settings while ensuring the comfort of occupants. If there are additional factors that you need your intelligent building to consider, our NPI specialists can likely incorporate them into the system.

3.    Remote and automated control of utility-intensive appliances. Whether your company building will have cooling devices for a server room, walk-in refrigeration for perishable foods, or high-voltage heating systems, NPI can help you reduce your operating costs. A smart system can remotely and automatically adjust temperatures for optimum usage. Zone systems are often used to help achieve this.

4.    Reduction of electrical usage. An NPI specialist can review your company’s electrical needs and determine whether or not it’s feasible to schedule load reductions and if your company qualifies for utility company discount programs. Using intelligent building technology it is possible to schedule and manage electricity reductions.

To learn more about the advantages offered by intelligent building technology, contact NPI Connect to schedule a free consultation with one of our specialists.

Contact Us to Find out More

Contact Networks Product, Inc. today to answer for your company’s needs the question, “What is an intelligent building?” and how we can plan and design one for you.