Intelligent Building Technologies Do Not Discriminate Based on Building Size

Not all building technologies are applicable to every type or size of building. In most cases, it is a simple matter of cost, especially with respect to smaller sized buildings. Additionally, smaller buildings do not have a need for building management systems (BMS) that are capable of managing larger buildings. Owners or tenants of small to medium sized buildings (SMB) still have a desire to understand how their buildings are working to attain better efficiencies and reduce operating costs. Many times, the larger building vendors find it too costly to serve the SMB market. The potential return on business development dollars is not attractive enough for them to pursue the SMB market wholeheartedly. 

Small to Medium Building Solutions

There are relatively inexpensive energy management system (EMS) and analytics solutions to help smaller buildings do exactly this. In most cases, these solutions use utility interval data to suggest ways to improve energy consumption and reduce costs. For SMBs, this is an acceptable level of granularity necessary to be effective and make a difference. Utilities also work with these analytics companies for demand-side reduction programs targeted at the SMB market segment. This relationship between utilities and EMS vendors has served to increase awareness among SMBs, keep them engaged on energy and sustainability related matters, and incentivize them enough to take action. Utilities win on the demand management side and SMBs win by reducing costs, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases and broadening the sustainability of the world’s overall building stock. 

Intelligent building technologies are helping to bring added sophistication to the universe of technologies applicable to SMBs. This is a major benefit for the SMB market segment. The introduction of inexpensive wireless sensors eases the constraints of cost and installation complexity while enabling more efficient operational models, deeper customer interactions, and strategic growth opportunities. Energy efficiency is still the main driver due to the necessity of claiming acceptable ROI. The additional benefits are like icing on the cake. With intelligent building technologies, SMBs are afforded much of the same sophistication that larger buildings enjoy. 

Growing Pains for Small to Large Buildings

Installation of intelligent building technologies will not come without growing pains. SMBs will need to understand how to best use these systems for their specific business needs. Currently, many larger buildings and businesses are in the same situation due to the nascent nature of use case and application development for intelligent building systems. The potential seems limited to what can be imagined. Now, however, SMBs can at least be included in the conversation.