What is Smart Building?

The goal of a smart building is to optimize processes, the environment and reduce energy use.

This sounds of course fantastic, but it doesn't answer the question of what a smart building specifically is, what the benefits are, what the elements are and how you create one.

Let's start with the first question: What is a smart building?

A smart building uses technology to use automated processes to control the building's operations, such as lighting, ventilation, security and more. A smart building uses sensors, actuators or chips to collect data and uses that data to control the processes. Making a building smart, doesn't necessarily mean that you have to start from scratch with your technology. A lot of the technology can be linked already and existing digital optimizations might be able to work with newer systems. This always depends on the systems already in place and how smart you want your building to be.

On this page, we will also answer the other questions about smart building:

1. What are the benefits of a smart building?

2. What elements are used in a smart building?

3. What do you need to create a smart building?

So keep reading or talk to our team via the below button!

Talk to our team!

How to create a smart building?

What else do you need to set up a smart building?

1. Assess

The first step in making a building smart is to set goals and assess the situation of your building. Do you want to lower costs, decrease the energy bill or automate as much as possible?

You start with assessing the base of the facilities. How do you handle power, air conditioning and heating now? From there, you move up to digital signage, occupancy and security. Finally, you look at productivity and the atmosphere.

2. Linking Core Systems

After your assessment, it should be clear which current systems you have. From there on, you can see if they can be linked in one system and how you want to link them. Software is available, but do you want it to be arranged per room or for the building? In that case, you might need panel PCs outside of certain areas.

You connect these systems with sensors and control systems.

3. Potentially add new/more technologies

Connecting the bases takes quite some time and effort. However, once you've finished these core systems you should already be getting data from these systems ready for optimization.

You can add more technologies from there on out, such as elevators, access systems, meeting room management systems, check-in kiosks for employees, informational displays with digital signage players in the lobby or occupancy screens at the entrance measured by sensors.

Which elements are used in a smart building?

Meeting Room Management


eTILE-X1032TB	Chromebase Mini			KP180

What are the benefits of a smart building?

We mentioned before that the goal of a smart building is to optimize processes, the environment and reduce energy use. But that's still a little vague. Below, is a list of the key benefits of a general smart building. However, a smart building is a tailor-made solution, so your smart building can be different and it's therefore always good to talk to our team or another consultant about what you want and need before starting the smart building process.


Increased energy efficiency	Predictive maintenance	Increase productivity	Data insight and analytics
Motion-sensitive lighting, better HVAC management (ventilation, heating, airconditioning) and a Super RTC which schedules your devices on/off time to save energy. A couple of examples of how a smart building reduces energy costs, which benefit both the business and the environment.	By connecting IoT sensors that monitor occupancy with your building management system, you can automatically detect errors, instead of sending an engineer to the location every time. This can be done via sensors and in hardware systems via remote management, where you can spot a loose HDMI cable, check for updates or check on analytics of the device statistics.	Due to the controlled lighting and temperature in the room, the building will be much more tailored to the needs of the occupants. Implementing roombooking systems increases productivity by reducing wasted time to physically check if a space is empty. Smart buildings continually monitor building use and can adjust systems to ensure occupants have the facilities they need.	A smart building collects a lot of data that can be analysed and help make decisions. See how much energy is used and what the costs are, check what the impact is on new systems and decide on new investments.

Success Stories

Read our success story at the Acer Headquarters in Switzerland about controlling your building via the Chromebase Mini.

Building Control

Building automation at the Acer headquarters. Control lighting, the intensity of lighting, ventilation (speed and temperature) and curtains via the Chromebase Mini touch panel pc.

→ Learn More

Create a Solution

AOPEN manufacturers computing hardware, but that doesn't create a solution.

Hardware & Software Partners	System Integrators & Resellers
For a complete setup, you need hard- and software, such as displays and software, depending on the solution you want to create. If you don't know what you need for your solution, contact us for the advice!	Buying separate components doesn't create a solution. System Integrators & Resellers are partners that bring together subsystems and ensure that all components function well together.
→ Learn More	Learn More ←

Get in touch!

Is all the information making your mind race and are you not sure what your first step should be? Give us a call or send us an email and we will set you up with one of our regional sales managers or our engineers to get advice.

3173-646-6400

request@aopen.com

What is Smart Building?

How to create a smart building?

1. Assess

2. Linking Core Systems

3. Potentially add new/more technologies

Which elements are used in a smart building?

Meeting Room Management

What are the benefits of a smart building?

Increased energy efficiency

Predictive maintenance

Increase productivity

Data insight and analytics

Success Stories