Space heaters under desks or fingerless gloves poised over keyboards are clues that employees aren’t comfortable, and probably not as productive as they could be. A conference room that goes unused each afternoon as the sun streams though uncovered windows and heats up the space isn’t an efficient use of that space. An unexpectedly high water bill shouldn’t be the first clue to a hidden leak somewhere in the building. In the past, these situations were common and accepted within office buildings across every market – but not for much longer.
Smart building technology has hit the mainstream and is quickly changing the landscape of commercial office space.
New buildings are constructed – and older buildings are being updated - with sensors embedded into the HVAC, lighting and other building systems. When combined with the Internet of Things (IoT) and next-generation facilities management technology, tenants are achieving new levels of control over their work environments, energy costs and sustainability.