Why Are Construction Companies Increasingly Adopting Smart Building and Infrastructure Solutions?

Key takeaways:

• Introduction
• Smart infrastructure and building solutions for energy efficiency
• Growth of the industry in North America and Asia-Pacific regions

Recently, in Chicago, Illinois, Fulton East, became the first next-generation commercial building developed specifically for the post-COVID-19 work environment. The building uses advanced technology and modern electronic devices to ensure that the air quality remains good and overall energy usage in the building remains low. For this, automated air purification systems and other such advanced systems have been installed in the buildings that help achieve this aim. Such buildings that use emerging technologies to ensure efficient resource usage, while putting in place protocols that establish a safe working environment, are called smart buildings.

How do smart buildings ensure energy efficiency in modern commercial working spaces?

Typically, smart buildings make use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things, etc., along with advanced electronic devices such as sensors, data-capturing devices, and transistors to collect actionable data. This data is then programmed and fed into the building’s central server to offer smart solutions that will address the responses and demands of the people inside the building.

One example of smart building solutions is the use of gesture or motion control lights. In today’s commercial spaces and offices, gesture or motion control lights are used to reduce energy consumption. These lights are connected with motion sensing devices and also with each other with the help of Internet of Things technology. These motion-sensing devices turn on the lights or shut them off depending on whether the room is vacant or occupied. In a step further, intensity-adjustable lights have also been developed in the past few years which can make smart adjustments as per the occupancy of the rooms.

Another use case of smart solutions that help reduce the energy consumption of the building is smart HVAC systems. Smart HVAC systems help ascertain the room temperature, humidity, air conditioning, and air quality inside the building. The data thus collected is then used to turn on the specific functions of the HVAC systems. Outside weather and climatic conditions also have an important role to play in the working of these smart HVAC systems. Smart HVAC systems were, in fact, one of the first appliances to make use of smart solutions like industrial IoT technology.

Overview of the industry’s growth in the North America and Asia-Pacific region

In the recent past, the smart building industry has experienced huge growth across the globe, especially in the North America and Asia-Pacific regions. A major reason behind the growth of this domain in these provinces is the increasing need and demand for better resource utilization and management in urban cities. Many urban planning experts have commented that efficient resource management is key to making smart cities a reality. Smart building solutions, by ensuring efficient energy consumption within the building premises, play a vital role in the systematic usage of resources.

Secondly, the growing demand for the adoption of smart solutions for public safety and security has also helped the industry grow in the past few years. The growth in demand for real-time security and emergency management systems in commercial spaces is one such case. The security and emergency management segment of the smart building industry is expected to have the highest market share in the coming period.

Another reason why this sector has grown in North America  is the well-developed ICT infrastructure in this region, especially in the US. The growing adoption of advanced technologies such as AI, ML, and automation in different sectors has helped engineers and researchers in this region gain knowledge about how these technologies work and how they can be utilized in other sectors. At the same time, various governments in the Asia-Pacific region have enacted schemes and initiatives to promote smart building solutions in commercial and residential applications.

Many leading technology companies have launched smart infrastructure solutions which are also expected to augment the growth rate of this sector. For instance, Siemens, a major technology company based in Germany, in March 2023, announced the launch of Connect Box, an open IoT solution for medium-sized buildings. The company released a statement saying that the new product will help commercial spaces like offices and retail shops determine and improve indoor air quality substantially. Also, Connect Box helps increase the energy efficiency of the infrastructure by around 30%, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the building.

To conclude, smart infrastructure solutions have become quite popular in the past few years owing to the role played by them in improving the safety and quality of the work environment. These solutions have also helped bring down the energy consumption and carbon footprint of urban spaces drastically. The growing governmental support for these solutions has led to a massive growth of the smart buildings industry in the Asia-Pacific and North American regions.

For insights into how your business can capitalize on the opportunities offered by the industry, feel free to contact us.

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