Building Automation: Why Use It?

New technologies are trying to shape the world we live in today.

In fact, there are more and more buildings being built with automatic controls, making them “smart buildings.” All components for the heating and air conditioning system, lighting, as well as door and window technology are networked. They are connected to building management systems and communicate with each other.

In this article, we will examine the various reasons to opt for building automation.

What Do We Mean by Building Automation?

Building automation combines the advantages of a smart home with other more innovative technologies. A smart home is often called a connected home, smart home or home automation. On the other hand, building automation combines other terms such as “Smart grid”, “Smart building”, or “Immotics” (designating the automation of tasks by computerized means for buildings)

The smart building is a building dedicated most often to the tertiary sector, but is also available for residential buildings. It mainly consists in equipping a building with high technology tools, allowing the occupants to save energy.

Indeed, the growth of new technologies allows improving our living environment considerably. This is to provide the maximum comfort possible while reducing our negative impact on the environment.

How Building Automation Works

The intelligent building works on the principle of the building automation system using new information and communication technologies (ICT). This is done with the help of a centralized intelligence with piloting tools to control all the devices inside the building, including the security system, lighting, and heating.

These connected buildings work with electricity distribution networks. Indeed, these smart electrical networks are very good at identifying the building’s energy consumption peaks thanks to computer technology advances. Thus, they will be able to adjust the production and distribution of electricity to avoid energy waste.

This technology, installed by automation specialists, is adapted to the building and offers the building’s occupants better energy management thanks to its communication system. Thus, thanks to this innovative technology, the building can generate its own energy by redistributing it according to the needs while minimizing the related losses.

The Main Advantages of Building Automation

There are many advantages that an intelligent building can offer to its occupants. Among others:

  • Improved living comfort: thanks to building automation, the global management of the building’s equipment is centralized and facilitated. Moreover, remote access also makes it possible to anticipate problems and ensure optimal security. This is made possible by automated controls for lighting, automatic opening and closing of doors and windows, intelligent heating consumption, etc.

 

  • Real time savings: by controlling specific actions remotely;

 

  • Significant savings on the energy bill: by optimally managing heating and air-conditioning appliances with precise settings while maintaining good insulation. This avoids rationally wasting energy.

 

  • A positive ecological impact: because the energy saved allows the reduction of the use of fossil fuels. It is indeed a very beneficial action for the environment.

 

  • Better security of the habitat: the new technologies allow the improvement of the security systems thanks to remote monitoring and the adjustment of alarms.

 

Weaknesses of Building Automation

The main disadvantage of this type of building lies in its complexity and novelty. Indeed, even if the concept is currently clearly defined, it is necessary to establish rigorous and complex project management.

 

As a result, the overall cost of constructing an intelligent building can be much higher than that of a traditional home.

One thought on “Building Automation: Why Use It?

  1. It’s nice that you talked about how building automation combines the advantages of a smart home with other more innovative technologies. I was watching an educational show while cleaning our living room earlier and I heard quite a bit about building automation. From what I’ve seen, it seems there are building automation construction companies now too.

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