There has been a lively and productive digital discussion going on in the digital pages of automatedbuildings.com over the last 15 years about the continuous optimization of buildings. Contributing authors advocated a data-driven approach powered by specialized analytics software delivered as web services conventionally called Fault Detection & Diagnosis (FDD) or building operational analytics. Like this from an early 2006 interview with Michael Brambley, Staff Scientist in Energy Technology Development, PNNL:

“When I use the term smart buildings, I define it as building systems that collect data, process it in the traditional sense of performing numerical analyses, then interpret the results of those analyses to reach conclusions about the status of the building or the system, and finally automatically implement appropriate actions in response.”

He’s named the three components: Monitor, Analyze and Act — each pushing the disciplines of building operations and information technology closer together in the interest of greater energy efficiency and comfort for occupants. Every month new articles appear in automatedbuildings.com on these subjects, as well as on the contributing technologies of wireless communication, graphic visualization and advanced controls.  It’s been the go-to place for discussing the convergence of building automation and IT, particularly for those collaborating on open industry protocols. Today this convergence phenomena of digital technology and the physical world of building operations has a new label – the Internet of Things for Smart Buildings. For an interactive timeline of the thought-leading writings, major events and significant product introductions over the last 15 years that brought us to this point, click here.