In a time of change for commercial buildings, smart tech leads the way

There’s never been a more exciting time to be working in the smart buildings industry.

Every day we discover new opportunities and hear inspiring success stories from our customers on how smart technology is being used to improve people’s lives and ways of working in commercial buildings, offices and other spaces.

But smart buildings are not exactly a new concept. Architects and developers have been installing separate systems to control lighting, heating and ventilation (HVAC) for decades. Later systems have helped building managers control access to different areas of a site, mitigate fire risk and protect against power surges.

What’s new is the addition of web-based platforms that allow these verticals to integrate seamlessly with each other. They can deliver a single view of how efficiently and effectively a building operates. Armed with this data, managers can take proactive steps to avoid waste and improve use, resulting in reduced emissions and potential cost savings.

And this new functionality is becoming increasingly essential. Urban space is at a premium as cities become more densely populated, and a growing population demands more dynamic management of every building’s space to accommodate a more fluid workforce and more careful stewardship of our energy and water resources.

Buildings also consume more than 30 percent of the world’s energy and contribute almost 40 percent of global carbon emissions. In an effort to tackle these challenges, national governments across the world are imposing tighter restrictions on building use, energy consumption and emissions. Shifting to more energy-efficient buildings is now regarded as central to carbon reduction strategies.

Now for some good news: building smart doesn’t have to be a challenge to profitability. In fact, smart technology creates significant opportunity to increase return on investment and meet tough environmental targets. Smart buildings also speed the adoption of green technology such as electric vehicles and solar power with clever integration. And for the far-sighted, technology may even change the role that buildings play in your portfolio.

We’ve developed a new whitepaper that covers the challenges that real estate developers and owners face, and how smart building technology can meet them. We also outline the four key pillars for smart building development. At ABB we have more than 130 years of experience leading complex electrification projects, and along with the breadth of the ABB automation offer, ABB Ability™ offers more than 200 digital solutions across industries, each of them the result of collaboration and partnership with our global customer base.

We invite you to start or continue your smart building journey with us. Here’s where you can learn more and download the whitepaper: https://campaign.abb.com/abb-smartbuildings_whitepaper