Smart buildings, which feature in-building wireless connectivity platforms that support everything from consumer- or business-level mobile broadband use to building automation and other internet of things (IoT) systems, are a hot topic in the construction and commercial real estate sector. Connectivity adds value in a tenant/owner relationship, while IoT use cases like smart lighting, temperature control and waste monitoring, create money- and time-saving efficiencies.
To better understand the role IoT can play in modern office buildings, construction and project management group Skanska Commercial Developments Nordic, which develops offices, retail locations and logistics properties in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, is partnering with compatriot network infrastructure vendor Ericsson.
According to Ericsson, the partnership is designed to “enhance Skanska’s future ability to deploy IoT digital services for existing and future office buildings.” The test project will use Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator, a platform offering that includes connectivity management, device management, security and monetization support.
The IoT Accelerator product has previously been used to drive innovation in buildings. ISS Facility Management Service, also working with IoT specialist Sigma, used the tool to gain insight into desk and conference room utilization, frequency of restroom cleaning and tallying on-site employees, which helps staff chefs reduce food waste and the associated costs, according to this video case study.
Dan Frode Skjelberg, integration manager for ISS, said, “By that we can reduce our waste and by that we can also reduce our costs regarding the waste and the production of the food. So far this is giving us a huge potential on how we can do that in the future. today we are delivering about 100,000 meals each day. If we’re going to have some potential reduction of that food waste, that’s a huge number of kilos.”
The sensor-based facility management solution. “The data that ISS needs to analyze in this case are for the soft services,” Mattias Zaunders, IoT sales manager for Sigma, said, “and that could be like desk occupancy, space optimization, food process cooling, etc…but most of all it’s for waste management regarding the food,” which is accomplished with footfall detection and computer vision.”