Convergence of Intelligent and Environmentally Responsible Building Management for Cables

It is possible that stating that we are entering a new era in building construction and management is a cliche, but the reality of the situation cannot be refuted. In the past decade, there has been a focus placed on both the construction of green buildings as well as smart buildings, with the objectives of sustainability and system performance converging in many different spaces.

In order to understand how to put these ideas into practice, it is essential to gain an understanding of the key similarities and differences that exist between green buildings and smart buildings. In order to realize the vision of designing a workspace that is efficient, well-organized, and kind to the environment, proper cable management emerges as an essential component.

Green Buildings, Defined

The World Green Building Council provides the following definition of the term “green building”: A “green” building is a building that, in its design, construction, or operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate and natural environment. Citation from World Green Building Council

Green buildings are ones that reduce their impact on the environment and improve the overall quality of life.

To put it another way, achieving sustainability is essential. Any structure, from private residences to public hospitals, can be considered environmentally friendly so long as efforts are made to reduce the building’s impact on the surrounding area. This encompasses a wide range of aspects, such as the utilization of non-toxic materials, efficient use of energy, utilization of renewable energy sources, waste reduction strategies, and more.

The characteristics of a structure that contribute to its ability to remain sustainable vary from country to country. In the majority of countries, the WGBC has a localized arm that is responsible for developing standards and guidelines that are more specific to the country. The United States Green Building Council is in charge of overseeing the LEED certification process in the United States. This is the standard that determines whether or not a building is considered sustainable and whether or not it is eligible for tangible benefits such as tax credits.

Smart Buildings, Defined
While green buildings are, by definition, dependent on their surroundings and location, smart buildings are more universally defined. This is because smart building standards protect air and water quality by reducing the distance people have to drive and making it easier for them to walk, bike, or take public transit. Green building standards also reduce the number of people who pollute the air and water. According to ScienceDirect, the following definition should be used:

• A smart building is one that utilizes cutting-edge and interconnected building technology systems and features their installation and use
• Intelligent buildings are ones that are aware of and reflect the technological advancements and convergence of building systems, as well as the common elements that are shared by the systems and the additional functionality that integrated systems provide
• Smart buildings make it possible for the owner of a building or occupant of a space within a building to manage either the building or the space by providing actionable information about the building or space 

In other words, smart buildings combine building management with information technology systems to take into consideration the requirements and potential improvements of technology as part of the building’s management and construction process. The dynamic optimization of system performance and the simplification of facility operations are both achieved in these buildings by means of automation, life safety, telecommunications, user systems, and facility management systems that are connected to the internet.

The Overlap: Defining Smart Green Buildings
At first glance, the two ideas appear to be fundamentally distinct from one another. The first aims to reduce negative effects on the environment, while the second seeks to maximize the benefits of technological integration for business operations. However, the two ideas are increasingly merging into a single concept that we will refer to as “smart green buildings.”

To get a grasp on the idea, you must first get a grasp on a fundamental truth, which is that one of the primary focuses of both smart buildings and environmentally conscious buildings is efficiency. Both seek to minimize the amount of manual maintenance and resource requirements, even though their ultimate targets may be different.

Therefore, smart green buildings are structures that make use of connected technology in order to produce a holistically optimized, well-functioning, and environmentally friendly place of business. According to a report that was published not too long ago by Cisco, many of the goals of smart buildings and green buildings are actually quite similar. Buildings that make use of smart technology are intended to achieve sustainability by satisfying a few of the essential requirements for LEED certification, which are as follows:

performance of the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems as well as its individual electronics has been optimized through strategic and automated management.

Measurement and Verification, carried out in a hands-free manner in smart buildings by means of automated platforms for metering, management, and steel access floor.

Monitoring for Carbon Dioxide (CO2), which in smart buildings can be dynamically connected to adjustments made to HVAC systems to reduce the risk of potential health hazards.

Controllability of Systems, in particular at the micro-level for occupants to be able to adjust settings for temperature, lighting, and so on for each individual room.

Permanent Monitoring Systems, which (once again) are incorporated into smart buildings to adjust HVAC settings according to occupancy rates, exterior temperature, and other variables.

Innovation in Design may include novel applications of cabling and technology, such as those typically found in smart buildings, which help to cut down on the use of materials and conserve energy.

To summarize, intelligent green buildings have more in common than just their end goals. They utilize one concept to achieve the other concept, and in the end, they marry the two concepts to produce high-performance spaces that are more efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly.

The Function of Cable Management in Intelligent and Eco-Friendly Buildings

Naturally, cable management is just one of many aspects that go into making smart buildings that are environmentally friendly. At the same time, it has the potential to perform an essential function in the overall mission of achieving greater ef ciency, sustainability, and adaptability.

According to the Cisco report, for example, the optimized cable infrastructure of a centrally-planned smart building reduces the amount of materials used, which is especially beneficial if the materials used are environmentally friendly. Additional resources can be saved by integrating wireless technologies wherever they are practicable and planning to do so in conjunction with wired infrastructure.

In addition, by standardizing cable management from the very beginning of the planning and design process for a building, the amount of wiring and rewiring that is required can be reduced. Cable management solutions such as Gridd prevent waste from being generated during the demolition and remodeling of electrical wiring. In addition, standardizing cable management creates the opportunity to reuse materials, which results in an additional reduction in energy consumption during the process.

Lastly, the capacity to adapt easily to shifting circumstances is a requirement for attaining LEED certification, and the appropriate raised floor systems cable management satisfies this requirement. One of the trends in construction that is both growing and changing at a rapid pace right now is the construction of “smart buildings.”Any solution that is put into action in 2021 should take into account the possibility of alterations and improvements in subsequent years. When the need arises, solutions for cabling that are designed to have that kind of flexibility can make it possible to make changes quickly and easily.

Even though cable management is just one part of the intricate web that makes up smart green buildings, it serves as an excellent illustration of the intersection of both of these interconnected ideas. It is an essential part of the process of designing an intelligent space, and at the same time, it opens up possibilities for using energy-efficient and environmentally friendly materials. Because of this, it will almost certainly continue to play an important part in this trend, both now and in the years to come.

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