How to live Green, find green materials, and go green.
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Smart Buildings
In recent years we have heard more and more about how we need to live
green, go green with the products we use, and of course build with green
materials. In our series of Green Articles, you will read much
about Smart Systems, or Integrated Systems in the “Intelligent”
Buildings or “Smart” Buildings. What are they, and who is building
them?
Intelligent or Smart Buildings (referred to as SB’s hereafter) are
basically any building that has incorporated streamline operations which
deliver better service to their end users. Many would call this a
“Smart System”. This system will help you live green in many ways.
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A decade or two ago, you may have immediately thought of the Jetson’s
when confronted with the idea, that an elevator could sense you without
even touching the button. Or that anyone could program their lights to
turn on from down the street, or Internet service would be called Wi-Fi
and be hard wired into your apartment building. Look how far we have
come today.One example of an SB is One American Plaza in San Diego,
California. The Broadband infrastructure alone in this building affords
free Wi-Fi, Tablet PCs and PDAs, to each tenant, and adds to a higher
quality service.
Many building owners and developers want to live green, or go green, and
they are located in North America and overseas. They are coming to the
realization that to compete, they must change, and develop the SB’s of
the future too. They must use green materials in every step of the
building process.
SB’s are not built on the same design, construction, and operation
process of the past either. The approach needed for the successful
development of “intelligent buildings” requires innovative strategies
and usually consist of a team of Developers and Architects to
incorporate their ideas into reality.
While there is no actual definition for an Intelligent building, or
Smart Building, they do have several things in common with each other.
They integrate distinct systems which can be controlled by a centralized
common user interface such as a Computer. Every part of the building
communications system is a shared network throughout the structure. The
high-performance systems of these buildings require that the building
owners, and/or property and facility management, are highly trained
professionals who understand this technology. This benefits the
end-users. These buildings have a capacity built in, that will maximize
its own performance and efficiency. This is accomplished by integrating
all systems such as lighting, HVAC, safety, power management, security
(access control, video surveillance, and visitor management), seismic
and structural monitoring, environmental conditions, including
temperature, air flow, and air chemistry and more into one centrally
controlled system. The technology is likened to a Central Nervous System
incorporating building strategies set to calculate and then alter its
own performance and functions. This has an added long-term sustainable
value and overall efficiency and savings to the property
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Who is building these Intelligent or Smart Buildings? Here
are just a few companies who repeatedly show us their expertise in this field.
BPG Properties, Ltd., a private equity real estate fund manager with over 25 years experience in building value in a broad range of real estate. The firm's current portfolio consists of over 20 million square feet of office, retail,
student housing and industrial properties and more than 25,000 apartment units in over 100 communities located throughout the United States.
http://www.bpgltd.com
The Bahrain WTC landmark towers have been designed by international architects, WS Atkins, while the lead contractors are joint venture firm, Nass Murray & Roberts.
http://www.atkinsdesign.com/html/projects_offices_bwtc.htm
Optimum Energy develops networked building control applications and products to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Their groundbreaking integrated solutions reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases while
increasing operating efficiencies in HVAC plants with no effect on occupant comfort.
http://www.optimumenergyco.com/
Watch for our series of articles on to to live green, go green, and green materials.
Incentives to Go Green
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