An Intelligent Building provides a productive and cost-effective
environment through the integration of Structure, Systems, Services,
and Management.
No 'completely intelligent buildings' exist. Only buildings
with aspects of intelligence.
The major aspects of an intelligent building are:
Security
Safety
Telecommunication Systems
Comfort
Energy Management
Security
This includes controlling access, surveillance and communication
(facilitation of response).
Access control: Regulates people going in and out and
monitors who goes where and when, with an identification device,
which identifies a person by his unique biometric traits or
by reading a unique card associated with an individual. The
archiving of data of who has gone where and when as a database,
facilitates the emergency response. In case of a break-in,
the access control should not allow even the authorised person
to come in, till the concerned authority studies the situation,
so that evidence is not tampered with.
Surveillance: Helps in monitoring movement within and
outside a building and its periphery through camera (Closed-Circuit
Television Camera)or perimeter devices like intrusion alarms.
Also helps in alerting the security manager, in case of violation
of pre-set norms.
Safety
The safety considerations could be of different natures -
safety of human life, property etc. The main source of concern
for a safety manager could be through the occurrences of fire
which can happen by means of electrical short-circuit, kitchen
and human carelessness.
Fire protection systems pump water to the areas where
the fire occurs, so as to douse it automatically through sprinkler
bulbs and also manually through the fire brigade.
Early warning systems like smoke detection systems, detect
the fire at a very early stage and pinpoint to the caretaker
where exactly it is occurring, so that the fire is extinguished
locally through manual fire extinguishers. It's a audio-visual
indication or through the PC. You also need to have clinical
facilities inside a big building, to provide first-aid.
Telecommunication Systems Telecommunication Systems and Office Automation Systems
like the UPS, EPABX and the Public Address system should
provide the required support in the event of security violation
or fire. The telecommunication system should be designed such
that, in case of a break-in, a signal is sent to the security
manager. The Public Address System is also used in case of fire,
to facilitate faster evacuation.
Comfort
HVAC systems - Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning
systems cool the place according to the occupancy or vary
the temperature. The system should be intelligent enough to
sense the number of occupants in a particular area to throw
air accordingly, through the air-conditioning ducts.
Lighting controls
light up the place optimally so that a person can work comfortably.
Elevator controls:
High speed lifts, which can carry people to the tallest point
in the building without the user feeling any fatigue.
Air-conditioning:
The working of the cooling system is made intelligent to sense
the number of occupants so as to the cool the place.For example,
if two people are sitting in a fully air-conditioned hall
designed for 50 people, the air-conditioning should adjust
accordingly.
Energy Management
The biggest drain of energy in the building is in the form
of electricity consumption, which is met through the captive
power plant built within the compound. The high consumption
of electricity is the result of air-conditioning, lighting
and running other utilities such as safety and security systems.
An effective energy management system functions by proper
integration of all four parameters.
When it comes to the point of saving energy, it is also quite
natural to use sun-light and accordingly adjust the internal
lighting, so that adequate intensity of lighting is provided
for maximum comfort.
Integration
A building becomes intelligent by making each of the
5 systems (Security, Safety, Telecommunication, Comfort and
Energy Management) respond for a given contingency. In case
of a fire, all the access control doors should be released automatically
facilitating the occupants to evacuate in the shortest possible
time. To minimise the chaos that takes place during an emergency,
the early warning fire alarm system is integrated to the public
address system which gives a pre-recorded location-specific
evacuation direction. All elevators below the location of the
fire will be automatically brought to the ground floor, and
those above the location should be taken to the topmost floor,
so that people can be evacuated from the top.
Source : Race India and Datamatics Information
Technology
2:04:01 PM 
This includes controlling access, surveillance and communication
(facilitation of response).
