Bettina Tratz-Ryan TITLE : RESEARCH VICE PRESIDENT COMPANY : GARTNER INDUSTRY : CONSULTANT LOCATION : GERMANY
SMART BUILDINGS
“ MOST SMART BUILDINGS ARE DESIGNED AS COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS , AIRPORTS OR EXCLUSIVE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AS THEY COMBINE AESTHETIC ARCHITECTURE WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY ”
BETTINA TRATZ-RYAN RESEARCH VICE PRESIDENT , GARTNER
compatible partners to achieve that improved interoperability . Tackling thesebig challenges can ’ t be achieved by individual businesses working in silos and taking a wider ‘ ecosystem ’ approach is necessary for technology underpinning smart buildings to work as effectively as possible .
Smart buildings and the wider sustainability agenda Buildings are responsible for 40 % of the energy consumption in the UK alone , therefore it is a crucial area in need of transformation to achieve net zero .
“ From a wider government and industry perspective , the biggest challenges – but also the biggest potential rewards – are posed by refurbishing legacy buildings , where the range of ages and types of stock creates a complex problem . Replicating the 20-30 % savings achieved through smart technology across the commercial built environment would be a significant step in the right direction towards net-zero targets , ” explains Williams .
“ Smart buildings develop visibility into energy and carbon footprint ”, says Tratz-Ryan “ they help cities , districts or organisations achieve their net-zero goals . Since data driven insights are at the heart of ‘ smartness ’, the carbon footprint for direct and indirect emissions can be identified .
Tratz-Ryan also highlights the benefits of smart building when it comes to climate change to respond more efficiently to heat islands in cities , as well as geo-spatial data analysis , building structures like walls or rooftops can be also planted to become vertical farms or greenspaces , supporting biodiversity .
Where to begin when implementing a smart building strategy ? Those looking to develop a smart building strategy need to understand that ‘ smart ’ means utilising technology as an enabler that is focused on user or use case specific outcomes . “ They need to build a digital thread of their systems to create the data orchestration environment , that for non – technical decision makers , can align
Bettina Tratz-Ryan TITLE : RESEARCH VICE PRESIDENT COMPANY : GARTNER INDUSTRY : CONSULTANT LOCATION : GERMANY
64 October 2023