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    1. Smart Buildings

    Intelligence and Integration

    Oct. 1, 2003
    True Opportunities, Based On Measurable Tools
    In its mission to expand the breadth and educate the industry on opportunities surrounding intelligent building technologies, the Ottawa, ON, Canada-based Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) (www.caba.org) has established an Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council (IIBC), comprised of leading and visionary representation from all segments of the buildings industry – including building owners and building professionals, service providers, and manufacturers.Of particular note to Buildings readers are two of the Council’s task forces, as follows.Task Force 1 - Intelligent Building Ranking SystemIIBC’s Task Force 1 (TF1) will attempt to develop an intelligent building ranking approach for large buildings, which may involve incorporating the LEED (U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification process in some fashion. Other new or existing building ranking approaches may also be necessary.According to the most recent (June 2003) “Executive Summary” of the CABA Intelligent and Integrated Building Ranking Tool, the aim of an affordable and easy-to-use online Intelligent and Integrated Building ranking tool is to increase market penetrability of Intelligent and Integrated Building technology with building owners and designers by demonstrating value and providing guidance.The ranking tool will have three functions. It will serve as:A means to evaluate and measure the “value” of Intelligent and Integrated Building performance with respect to the goals set.A design guidance for integration of building intelligence in new building projects.A building automation retrofit action planning tool.Task Force 3 - The Life-Cycle Costs of Intelligent and Integrated BuildingsIIBC’s Task Force 3 (TF3) will develop a White Paper on the “Life-Cycle Costs of Integrated-Open Standards Based Building Technologies” as compared to traditional/standalone closed system buildings. A parametric model will be created for both new and renovation-type buildings. The goal is to analyze the individual operating and maintenance costs and develop supporting documentation for each cost to lend credibility to a final Net Present Value Comparison.“Life-Cycle Cost Central to Intelligent Buildings,” authored by Thomas M. Keel of Georgia Institute of Technology, highlights strategies developed by the CABA Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council to create a repository of life-cycle cost benchmark information. “Specifically,” notes the report, “IIBC TF3 addresses the life-cycle cost of intelligent and integrated building automation systems, which are the ‘hearts and souls’ of ‘smart’ buildings. Whereas, much of the green building initiative examines the ‘skin and skeleton’ of an energy-efficient building, the IIBC TF3 concerns itself with the life-cycle costs of the ‘hearts, brains, organs, circulatory, and nervous systems’ of the commercial building, which increases energy efficiency.”To accomplish the task of verifying a commercial building’s life-cycle costs, CABA will ask its members and other industry professionals to participate in a questionnaire that gives CABA the data needed to build a database of actual building automation systems (BAS) costs. Much data already exists; however, TF3 needs fresh, up-to-date data as technology advances continue to change our industry.

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