Sustainable, Smart Buildings: Planet, People and Profits

摘要

According to recent reports, the Smart Building market is expected to grow from $43.6 billion in 2018 to $160 billion by 2026 [1]. Fueled by an increased focus on carbon emissions, market demand, potential savings and evolving laws and regulations, the commercial construction industry is now embracing the concept of sustainable Smart Buildings. As the commercial real estate market becomes increasingly competitive, building owners need to answer the call to make their buildings smarter and more sustainable in a way that considers impact on the planet, the people and the profit of the business itself or run the risk of lower occupancy rates and property values. What traditionally constituted a building's sustainability was focused primarily on energy consumption, conservation of natural resources and material reuse and recycling. As we spend more time in commercial and public buildings today than we did a century ago, with studies indicating that humans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors [2], sustainability has become a much broader concept that relates to a building's overall ability to provide a comfortable, healthy and productive environment over the lifecycle of the building without negatively impacting the natural environment (Figure 1).