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Modern technologies can take different forms and completely reshape various aspects of our lives. Smart buildings are an example of that – who would have expected them barely two decades ago when hardly anyone heard about smartphones? Smart buildings are no longer the future – they are the present, but what do you actually know about them? If it’s not much, don’t worry – we will describe them in detail here!
What are smart buildings?
Smart buildings are quite an innovation – we have seen them in many science fiction movies, yet now they were brought to life! They use intelligent devices to gather data and to create convenient, efficient, and optimal living or working conditions.
The first association with smart buildings that comes to our mind is smart homes, yet the truth is that they are much more than that. You can see various kinds of premises that use intelligent devices to operate, such as:
- homes,
- offices,
- hospitals,
- warehouses.
The base of smart buildings is technology, namely smart devices. They use a plethora of them for various practical purposes. The range of gadgets is wide and includes:
- sensors,
- locks,
- light bulbs,
- hubs.
- roller blinds
- plugs
- smoke detectors
- cameras
- badges
Due to this wide range of utensils and the complexity of each one of them, smart buildings offer quite a few benefits.
What are the advantages of smart buildings?
You probably know how convenient smart homes are, but what about other premises? After all, hospitals have different requirements than offices or houses. Yet, many of smart building’s benefits are universal, so many of them are appreciated no matter where they are. Let’s look at this in a bit more detail:
- Better security – Smart sensors and trackers can be used to quickly detect if a building was entered by a stranger. Thus, the security service is able to quickly verify if the newcomer poses a threat and quickly react. This is mostly useful for large corporations and hospitals, yet it can also prove helpful in luxurious apartment buildings.
- Enhanced safety – There is one key advantage of using intelligent detectors, which are the standard in smart buildings – they are better than their traditional versions. Smart detectors make fewer mistakes, and just one of them can quickly trigger alarms across the whole facility. As a result, the people who are inside are informed about the emergency immediately, thus the evacuation is faster.
- Lower costs – Smart buildings are designed with energy efficiency in mind. The devices used often consume less electricity than their traditional counterparts. What is more, it is possible to remotely turn them off to reduce the passive energy usage responsible for about 10% of the electricity bills.
The takeaway
Smart buildings are made with the use of intelligent devices, such as sensors, locks or even trackers. They provide the people inside with increased security and safety while helping the owners reduce maintenance costs. Thus, not only homes are designed as smart buildings, but many other facilities, such as hospitals, offices, or even warehouses.
