Building Services Engineering

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ilding Services Engineering l January/February 2021

Delivering smart buildings for smart cities By the end of the decade, six out of ten of us will be living in urban areas. By 2050, that will rise to seven in ten people living urban lives, spending some 21 hours a day indoors … in schools, universities, offices, factories, shopping malls and hospitals, as well as in our homes, writes Kevin Devine, General Manager Sales – Ireland, Xylem Water Solution. Accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, the way we live and work is changing. Buildings of the future will be sustainable buildings, which work reliably with high comfort and low maintenance, and a far smaller carbon footprint. Keeping up with this shift is an ongoing challenge, with no room

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for error when it comes to meeting the necessary standards. Escalating urbanisation is going to be the primary factor driving the need to provide optimal operations management. Heating and cooling in buildings and industry accounts for half of the EU’s energy consumption. Efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are key to reaching the global goal of net zero emissions. So, how do we maximise sustainability without compromising on regulatory compliance? Delivering smart buildings which meet – and exceed – the high expectations of future smart cities means getting it right first time. That’s why compliance plays a starring role — you want to work with a manufacturer that knows every regulation to the letter. Futureproof buildings must be waterand energy-efficient, as well as flood resilient. They must also be delivered on a budget that allows for profit and growth. With developers and energy managers under increased pressure, smart water solutions enable them to do more with less. Smart water solutions combine intelligent equipment and wireless smart networks with digital approaches, such as cloud analytics, powerful data

modelling, and the Internet of Things. Developers open to the technology’s innovative approach can reduce energy consumption, contribute to lower emissions, and improve operational efficiencies. This applies whether they are creating whole new communities or simply upgrading existing stock. Early indications suggest the technology could deliver savings of between £9.5bn and £11.5bn a year through reductions in capital and operational expenditure. The approach uses intelligent energy-efficient equipment which interacts with sensors and digital analytics’ tools to monitor use and respond to change in a way that simply hasn’t been possible before. Cutting-edge pumps, variable speed pump controllers, packaged pump systems and UV/ozone treatment equipment can, for example, drive up efficiency by matching performance to demand. Once connected to a building’s monitoring system, such systems can predict, and adjust to, future usage patterns. In addition, constant pressure systems with variable frequency drives can speed up or slow down pumps depending on a building’s real-time water requirements, thus providing reliable, constant pressure on demand without waste. The world’s growing population is demanding buildings that consume less energy and water, and there’s enormous potential for optimising the water and energy management of buildings across all phases of the life cycle. Building needs are changing and it can be hard to keep up with changing legislation. But with the right partner making compliance a priority, every hospital, school, shopping centre and apartment block can begin operating efficiently with the very best technology to meet the highest standards. Creating smart buildings will mean our smart cities are fit for the future. For more information on the latest water technology solutions across building services applications, visit https://www.xylem.com/en-ie/solutions/ commercial-buildings/ Q

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