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What Makes a Smart Building?

Seattle
What Makes a Smart Building?
McKinstry's Patty Anderson at BOMA International.
The SATs don't know if a building is smart. (They only say if it can go to every sustainable building's dream school: Bowling Green.) What you should look for, says McKinstry's Patty Anderson, snapped at the BOMA International convention last month, is if it senses its environment, reacts to ensure comfort and safety, and interacts by being easily accessible. (Smart building sounds like a great mate. Is it single?) Patty estimates that 30% of a building's total operating expense is related to energy, and McKinstry believes 50% of energy and construction labor is wasted. The cure? Connect facilities and IT teams to make sure everyone's on the same page. Then follow up with energy audits and ops reviews to make sure changes are being efficiently optimized.