How can building services leverage digital technologies and data to enhance user experience and performance?

Building services are the systems and components that provide essential functions and comfort to the occupants and users of buildings, such as heating, ventilation, lighting, water, security, and communication. However, building services are not only about technical performance and efficiency, but also about enhancing the user experience and satisfaction, as well as contributing to the social responsibility and stakeholder engagement of the building owners and managers. In this article, we will explore how building services can leverage digital technologies and data to achieve these goals and create smart, sustainable, and user-friendly buildings.

1 Digital technologies for building services

Digital technologies, such as sensors, actuators, controllers, networks, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT), enable building services to collect, process, and act on data from various sources, such as the building itself, the environment, the users, and the grid. These technologies can help building services to optimize their operation, reduce energy consumption and emissions, improve reliability and safety, and provide real-time feedback and control to the users. For example, smart lighting systems can adjust the brightness and color temperature of the lights according to the natural light, the occupancy, and the preferences of the users, creating a comfortable and personalized ambience.

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Simon Jones

Consultancy | Podcast | Speaker | Unlocking better ventilation and air quality. AMIEnvSc, AMIAQM
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Building services increasingly incorporate digital technologies and data analytics to enhance indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and user experience. By using smart sensors and IoT (Internet of Things) devices, buildings can dynamically adjust lighting, temperature, and air quality based on real-time data and occupancy patterns. For example, sensors can detect CO2 levels or the presence of other pollutants, prompting HVAC systems to adjust ventilation accordingly. This not only ensures optimal air quality but also enhances occupant comfort and health. Integrating these systems with user-friendly interfaces allows occupants to personalize their immediate environment, further enhancing their experience and satisfaction.

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2 Data for building services

Data is the fuel that powers digital technologies and enables building services to learn, adapt, and improve. Data can be collected from various sources, such as sensors, meters, cameras, surveys, social media, and mobile devices, and can be analyzed using various methods, such as descriptive, predictive, prescriptive, and diagnostic analytics. Data can help building services to understand the patterns, trends, anomalies, and correlations of the building performance, the user behavior, the environmental conditions, and the market dynamics. For example, data analytics can help building services to identify the optimal settings for the HVAC system, to detect faults and anomalies, to forecast the demand and supply of energy, and to provide insights and recommendations to the users and managers.

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Simon Jones

Consultancy | Podcast | Speaker | Unlocking better ventilation and air quality. AMIEnvSc, AMIAQM
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Ive found that the key to unlocking the full potential of these technologies lies in ensuring that data collection and analysis are purpose-driven. Data without a clear purpose can lead to noise, overwhelming facility managers with irrelevant information and potentially leading to inefficient decision-making. To avoid this, building services need to establish clear objectives for data use, such as improving user comfort, reducing operational costs, or meeting sustainability goals. With these objectives in mind, data analytics can be tailored to provide actionable insights, such as predictive maintenance alerts that prevent equipment failures before they occur, or dynamic space utilization reports that help optimize physical layouts

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3 User experience for building services

User experience is the perception and response of the users to the building services, such as their satisfaction, comfort, well-being, productivity, and engagement. User experience can be influenced by various factors, such as the design, functionality, usability, accessibility, aesthetics, and feedback of the building services. Digital technologies and data can help building services to enhance the user experience by providing customized, interactive, and adaptive solutions that meet the needs and preferences of the users. For example, smart thermostats can allow the users to adjust the temperature and humidity of their spaces via their mobile devices, smart speakers can enable voice control and interaction with the building services, and smart displays can show the energy consumption and savings of the users.

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Simon Jones

Consultancy | Podcast | Speaker | Unlocking better ventilation and air quality. AMIEnvSc, AMIAQM
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In my view, digital technologies and data could revolutionise how building services enhance user experiences by enabling customised, interactive, and adaptive environments. By leveraging data and digital technologies, building services can create intelligent environments that are not only more responsive but also more attuned to the needs and expectations of users.

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4 Performance for building services

Performance is the measure of how well the building services achieve their intended objectives and outcomes, such as energy efficiency, environmental impact, reliability, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Performance can be evaluated using various indicators, such as energy use intensity, carbon footprint, power quality, downtime, maintenance cost, and return on investment. Digital technologies and data can help building services to improve their performance by enabling continuous monitoring, evaluation, optimization, and improvement of the building services. For example, smart meters can provide real-time data on the energy consumption and generation of the building, smart grids can enable demand response and load balancing of the building services, and smart contracts can facilitate transactions and incentives for the building services.

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5 Social responsibility for building services

Social responsibility is the commitment and accountability of the building owners and managers to the society and the environment, such as their contribution to the social welfare, environmental protection, ethical conduct, and stakeholder engagement. Social responsibility can be demonstrated by various actions, such as adopting green building standards, implementing corporate social responsibility policies, disclosing sustainability reports, and engaging with the community and the stakeholders. Digital technologies and data can help building services to support and enhance the social responsibility of the building owners and managers by providing transparency, accountability, and communication of the building performance, impact, and value. For example, smart dashboards can display the environmental and social indicators of the building services, smart badges can reward the users for their energy-efficient behavior, and smart platforms can enable collaboration and participation of the stakeholders.

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6 Future trends for building services

The future of building services is being shaped by the rapid development and innovation of digital technologies and data, as well as by the changing needs and expectations of users and society. Emerging trends and opportunities include digital twins, which are virtual replicas of physical building services that can simulate, optimize, and improve their performance and user experience. Blockchain technology can enable secure, transparent, and decentralized transactions and interactions of building services. Edge computing can reduce latency, bandwidth, and cost of building services. 5G technology provides faster, more reliable, and more connected communication and networking of building services. Augmented reality overlays digital information and graphics on the physical environment to enhance the user experience with building services.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can building services leverage digital technologies and data to enhance user experience and performance?

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1 Digital technologies for building services

2 Data for building services

3 User experience for building services

4 Performance for building services

5 Social responsibility for building services

6 Future trends for building services

7 Here’s what else to consider

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