Technology Roadmap for Intelligent Buildings
Challenges Facing Intelligent Building Technologies

• Developers/Owners/Operators
• Occupants/Tenants
• Lowest Initial Cost
• Current Practices
• Overview of Intelligent Building Technology Challenges

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Challenges to the widespread introduction of intelligent building technologies arise from many diverse considerations. This section considers how best to create and develop intelligent building technologies projects in the face of these challenges.

A significant consideration is always the financial impact, including capital costs, expense costs and revenue. Good business practice requires that financial implications must be correctly assessed, taking into consideration the time value of money and the effect of taxation. Low initial costs are attractive to developers, while the owners/operators and Occupants/Tenants are more interested in longterm operational costs. Intelligent building technologies offer significant opportunities to generate increased revenue. Intelligent buildings offer more value, hence sell and/or rent for higher prices and/or more rapidly.

Financial decisions based on the comparison of alternative plans of action that consider only initial cost will inevitably be wrong. If the revenue stream of the alternatives is the same, then revenue can be ignored and the continuing expenses can be factored in using the metric present worth of annual charges (PWAC). If the alternatives are expected to generate different amounts of revenue, which will generally be the case when intelligent building technology applications are under consideration, the correct metric is net present value (NPV). The initial cost must, of course, be considered, but should only be the deciding factor when the correct metrics for the comparison of alternatives, (PWAC where expected revenue is uniform and NPV where expected revenue varies) are the same or very close.

The improved value of intelligent buildings should influence Developers/Owners/Operators and the entire supplier community to look positively on such opportunities. Intelligent building projects will obviously affect the construction processes. The successful integrated outcome will require that the design be integrated. This will, of course, involve many practical questions regarding the divisional specifications, contracts and the manner in which design, management and construction staff interact on the project. Changes in approach and appropriate co-operation will be required throughout the supplier community.

Intelligent building technologies require that the system design reacts to component and system failures more reliably then conventional systems. System design must ensure that problem isolation and resolution will improve on "conventional" overall performance. To achieve these objectives, there is a continuing need for education for all those involved. Education and experience, and changes in normal practices, will be required throughout the supplier community, specifically including the engineers, the designers, the architects, the contractors, the manufacturers, and those who manage and maintain these systems. Provision and use of common space, common infrastructure and shared resources are central to the value, and the economic effectiveness and advantage of intelligent building technologies.

Authorities having jurisdiction must ensure that codes, practices and conventions support and encourage the deployment of intelligent buildings, noting the functional and financial advantages they offer. The assessment of successfully completed intelligent buildings projects highlights the importance of ensuring that the rules and regulations encourage the use of intelligence in buildings to achieve maximum value, while continuing to ensure that public safety and public service are well addressed.

The challenge is to demonstrate the construction of intelligent buildings with low financial risk and high financial return. Property that is more valuable to the developers/owners/ operators and is occupied by satisfied occupants/ tenants over the long term is the goal.

The current view is that a building and its infrastructure typically have a lifespan of 25 years or more between major retrofits. Noting the pace of technological evolution, intelligent buildings offer the ability to upgrade functional capability more often and much more economically, through upgrading components and equipment items without a need to touch physical components such as the cabling infrastructure.

Developers/Owners/Operators

Changing the traditional development, design, construction and operations of buildings requires new methods and techniques. These methods and techniques need to be developed and managed.

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Occupants/Tenants

There is the potential for major advantages. The building operation will change and end users need to be made aware of these advantages. Costs and savings must be managed.

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Lowest Initial Cost

When construction projects are planned, the costs and budgeting necessary for construction tend to emphasize capital costs and budgets. Proper consideration of ongoing operating costs is more likely when the building owner is also the developer. Since intelligent building technologies bring significant value throughout the life of a building, it is important to evaluate this in the budget planning.

The cost of building intelligent building systems may be slightly higher than independent systems, but by a very low percentage of the total investment. The developer/owner benefits from reduced infrastructure space and reduced operating costs. This increases the value of the newly constructed project, benefiting the developer/owner as well as the occupants/ tenants.

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Current Practices

The advent of intelligent building technologies impacts present building practices in many ways. An appropriate analysis highlights areas where knowledge and technology gaps call for improvement, development and evolution of existing practices.

Developers/Owners/Operators

Of necessity, owners influence every phase of the design process. The owners are key to every design team, and need to be educated by the design team in the considerable benefits of intelligent building technologies. The design team itself must therefore be well educated about these benefits. The owner's influence will, of course, involve budgeting and scheduling and, in most cases, functional considerations.

Design Processes

All projects originate from a design group led by the architect, involving the developer/ owner/operator and including the specialist engineering and design staff who will design, specify, manage and commission the project. Each individual on the design team normally contributes in a manner directly related to the existing master specifications, provided by the Canadian Construction Document Committee (CCDC) or by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The intelligent building technologies concept does not meet directly with divisional specifications, and the advent of Division 17 complicates the concept. Experience suggests that a design consultant must take responsibility for the entire implementation of intelligent building technologies. The integration designer will influence the detailed designs of each of the divisional specifications in the master contract. Success in this requires that all members of the team are committed to this approach.

Redundancy

An efficient and reliable system must be able to withstand the failure of any single point in the system. In communication and control systems, many different techniques are used. Ring topology ensures that a break at any one place provides continued communications in both directions, to the point of failure. Distributed communications ensure that all individual controllers continue at a high level of functionality, when communications with the main computer are lost. The system in all cases will detect and report the failure of the communications link.

The terms "resilient" and "redundant" are complementary. "Redundant" indicates that extra components will assume the load in the event of failure, while "resilient" indicates that an individual component can survive a failure. Both these concepts are necessary. In telecommunications environments, for example, alternative links provide redundancy, while extra components within each link provide resilience within that redundant link. In building automation, these concepts are very important, as the integrated nature of intelligent building communication infrastructure requires these systems to provide all these functions.

Lifespan Issues

The evolution of electronic technology is moving rapidly, with lifespans and life-cycle times in the range of five to ten years. Buildings typically have a lifespan between major refits of approximately 25 years, or two to three technology cycles. A significant advantage of intelligent building technologies is the ability to upgrade the electronics while continuing to use the cabling that is already in place. Equipment and system vendors have an opportunity to design graceful growth into their product evolution plans; to enable their products that are in service to be upgraded to add the most recently introduced features and functions.

Building automation depends on many systems and components. Existing solutions will continue to function with the current implementation and capabilities, when newer products in the market place have displaced the installed product.

Construction Processes

Building projects involve a broad range of participants. The construction process has evolved to co-ordinate design, specification, contracting and construction into a number of distinct areas. Projects now follow an established sequence that reflects this experience. The traditional construction process requires each of the specialized construction trades to complete their task independently of all others, following a strict sequence so that their work is integrated seamlessly.

Intelligent building technologies add a new dimension to the integration of these construction processes. The objective is to ensure good quality with no delay in the construction, commissioning and acceptance process. This validation will ensure that, on completion of the system, its operation is calibrated so that the entire system functions properly. The integration process may lead to some jurisdictional issues, and the union and training responsibilities will need to be appropriately addressed.

Responsibilities

The design process must allocate responsibilities to suitably qualified engineers and contractors who are responsible for the design and implementation of the:

• common infrastructure;
• infrastructure testing;
• infrastructure acceptance and commissioning;
• system selection;
• system interaction;
• system testing and commissioning;
• system verification; and
• documentation, servicing, maintenance and repair.

Most of these responsibilities are essentially unaltered from those in existing individual contract documents. In an intelligent building, these roles are now consolidated into a single series of responsibilities. The challenge for the architect as the primary contract manager is to select engineers and contractors qualified to undertake these activities. Since the involvement of more parties in the construction process could make it more difficult to assign responsibilities, early and clear resolution of disputes is important.

Implementation of an automation system that is different may present a concern. The absence of a communications infrastructure within a traditional contract for elevators, electrical systems and mechanical systems is a change from the currently familiar process for each of these contractors. For example, the elevator contractor now uses a communications system provided by a third party, rather than the system that has traditionally been installed directly under his/her responsibility.

These concerns can be minimized by ensuring that the requirements for all communication infrastructures are clearly defined. The definitions will normally include the testing process and criteria used by all parties to ensure that the system meets appropriate standards. This process is central to many aspects of contracting already prevalent in the construction industry. With the evolving complexities of communications infrastructures, the use of a single, experienced contractor to install this infrastructure may be in the best interests of all parties.

Ongoing service arrangements in an integrated system must be addressed. The interaction among formerly segregated systems may pose a challenge. It is important to increase the intelligence of the systems, so that servicing can be more efficient and fewer routine maintenance activities will be needed.

Supplier Dependencies

Current construction practice is to install distinct systems for fire, HVAC, building automation, lighting control and security. These systems are now becoming co-resident in a building's control centre, and an integration layer allows the information to flow between the systems possibly through an integration PC. However, the separate suppliers maintain the independent systems in such implementations. The owner/operator may end up dealing with more independent suppliers and maintenance contractors.

The lack of proven interoperability and widely accepted standards continues to be a major barrier to the adoption of intelligent building technologies. Some suppliers recognize this and have focussed on software solutions to achieve interoperability. Market pressure by Developers/Owners/Operators is needed to encourage change in the product lines offered by the suppliers.

Multiple standards and protocols have impeded the implementation of easy solutions for integration. The communications infrastructure required for building integration is moving to a common backbone using various versions of Ethernet. Use of PCs has imposed a de facto standard, and the increasing use of these devices and the adoption of Ethernet will encourage movement towards this de facto standard.

Often, the electrical standards, for example, RS–485 or RS–422, define the electrical interfaces through which the levels are interpreted and the lines signal the data. These standards do not address how the signals are interpreted and how data is managed. Those protocols would be more easily interpreted if Ethernet standards were used by the individual transducers. Virtual LANs provide the necessary security for a local area network to manage both building automation and user data. For very high security communications requirements, it may be appropriate to segregate building functions from end-user functions, by providing a small number of individual cables to provide the data transport for each system. A Division 17 style of building management would oblige all parties to address the consolidation of all communications including building automation.

Development of Human Resources

The availability of the necessary human resources to design, construct, commission, operate and maintain buildings which make extensive use of intelligent building technologies is crucial to the success of this industry. Education, training, development and experience are required not only for the design engineers, the architects and the developers/ owners, but also for the construction, maintenance and operational staff. Training for these individuals will include formal education, continuing education at accredited engineering faculties and technical schools, and courses, seminars and workshops provided by individual manufacturers. Training and development may also fall into the domain of trade unions. Unions are a powerful resource in meeting the objective of increasing the individual capabilities of their members.

There are currently few contractors with sufficient knowledge and experience to undertake a project where total integration is the goal. Many in the industry believe that an intelligent building addresses only certain sectors of building operations and management, typically areas where they hold vested interests, for example, HVAC, security or building automation. Other interpretations relate to a building with a comprehensive telecommunications network. For intelligent building technologies to be installed efficiently and effectively, a broad spectrum of the construction work force must be trained in their use. Work activities on the construction site must be a team effort where each member has his own speciality.

Intelligent building technologies involve many trades. Most trades will need at least some understanding and knowledge, and will have to interact with other trades responsible for the installation of intelligent building technologies. There will be a need for training and for the provision of appropriate test gear. This test gear is necessary so that components and subsystems can be tested, exercised and calibrated during construction when the intelligent building system is not yet available.

Building Codes

Building codes with the "power of law" are defined authorities having jurisdiction and must be respected. Examples include:

• the National Building Code of Canada, and local codes and interpretations related to it;
• the Electrical Code; and
• the Fire Code.

Other relevant codes, conventions and standards are not legally binding, but are often very helpful, for example:

• ANSI/ EIA / TIA 568 (Telecommunications Industry Association) standard for commercial buildings;
• corporate standards which may apply to individual projects; and
• certification requirements by cable component vendors, for example, NORDX/CDT CSV requirements.

These codes may not be easily interpreted and sometimes present conflicting requirements. Each code has a specific mandate and can significantly affect the opportunities and the process for implementing intelligent buildings. The Electrical Code, for example, requires that only cables of the same voltage and classification can be co-resident in a particular conduit. However, the jurisdiction of the Electrical Code does not generally extend to the communication cables that are mainly of interest to intelligent building technologies applications since the power levels lie below the Electrical Code jurisdiction. Intelligent building systems are used to control lights, fans and door control systems which are also regulated by the National Building Code or the Fire Code. Additional confusion can arise over the codes when some are rewritten or interpreted at national, provincial and municipal levels.

Currently, the codes generally define what is permissible and how it is to be implemented. Updated building codes, which are objectivebased, are in preparation. Objective based codes will ensure the needed functionality while providing flexibility in how it is achieved. In general, intelligent building technologies improve the safety of buildings, and a suitable negotiation mechanism will resolve any conflicts. Through enhanced monitoring, diverse incident reporting and logging, the industry has anticipated many of the requirements that will be incorporated within objective-based codes.

Risk and Liability

Venturing into intelligent building technologies requires a partnership between diverse interests. This venture must inevitably involve the recognition of risks. However, each partner expects the risks to be related to the gains. The potential risks in implementing an intelligent building system should be identified in advance. The discussion of risks should include:

• initial additional costs and delays;
• delays in construction;
• supplier dependency;
• hidden costs; and
• liabilities.

Use of a common infrastructure and an integrated system with a single interface interacting among multiple sub-systems raises questions of liability. If the communications infrastructure does not perform appropriately, for example, for the lighting control system, the logical question that follows is: who will be held responsible?

These issues are not new and are fundamentally unchanged from similar considerations in traditional systems. The integration of communications infrastructure adds a new dimension that must be addressed in appropriate contractual commitments early in the design and construction process. Such a contract will go far to address concerns, and ensure that any failures will not lead to disproportionate liability accusations.

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Assessable Reference Projects

Currently there are a number of showcase projects that demonstrate the functionality of various intelligent building technologies but there are few reference projects that add objective measurements to these demonstrations. For intelligent building technologies to be viewed as clearly the best direction for new and retrofit building construction, it is essential that objective reference projects be available. These reference projects must differentiate between "retrofit" and "new construction". For retrofit projects, it should be relatively easy to establish the original operating costs, staffing and problems. As the retrofit occurs, the changed experience of all these criteria and parameters can readily be established.

When constructing new facilities, obviously no contractor or developer will initiate two simultaneous comparative projects. Therefore, the detailed measurements must stand on their own, including heating, operating, comfort levels, operations and maintenance, and perceived/measured value to occupants/ tenants. There is a critical need to initiate such assessable projects, and the evaluation must be handled not by manufacturers, but by independent agencies, for example, institutes of research or academic learning.

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Overview of Intelligent Building Technology Challenges

The ability to fully realize the benefits of intelligent building technologies is hampered by a number of challenges:

• the reluctance of developers/owners to implement intelligent building technologies due to the perception of increased initial cost and concern over unproven technologies;
• the unwillingness to change from the traditional construction process arrangement, where each of the specialized construction trades completes its task independently of all others;
• the difficulty of achieving agreement among the design team members to commit to the approach required for implementing intelligent building technologies;
• the challenge for the architect to select engineers and contractors qualified to undertake the consolidated activities needed to design and implement an intelligent building;
• the challenge of educating owners to influence the budgeting, scheduling and functional considerations required in an intelligent building technologies project;
• the unwillingness/inability of suppliers to depend on each other for system data inputs due to proprietary protocols that cannot communicate with each other;
• the challenge of ensuring adequate redundancy so that any individual controller can work with adequate functionality when communication with the main control system has been lost;
• the lack of contractors with the knowledge and experience to undertake a project where total integration is the goal;
• the need for extensive training of a broad spectrum of the construction work force in the implementation and use of intelligent building technologies;
• the concerns over liability issues and problem resolution with a common infrastructure and an integrated system where a single interface provides interaction among multiple sub systems;
• the need for updated building codes which facilitate the implementation of intelligent building technologies;
• the concerns of developers/owners/ architects about liability and insurability for integrated systems;
• the lack of proven interoperability and lack of universally accepted standards;
• the need to achieve co-operation and agreement among the stakeholders and their interests;
• the development of the procedures needed to implement an integrated communications system, that differ from those that have traditionally been used;
• the lifespan issues posed in making investment decisions for an intelligent building technologies construction project; and
• the ongoing service arrangements required by an integrated system.

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