Billions (in Canada) and Trillions (around the world) of dollars are being spent each year on the development and renewal of our infrastructure. Roads, bridges, homes, and [commercial, industrial, and institutional] buildings make the physical fabric of our communities. A small, yet growing portion, of this global spending goes to the systems that make this infrastructure work; such as security, mechanical, electrical, and transportation systems.

These systems have always been part of the DNA of the underlying infrastructure for our communities (nothing new there). However, the difference is that they are becoming smarter and more capable to have a profound impact on the performance of the infrastructure. Where historically these systems were subservient to the bricks, beams, and concrete they were housed in; it now seems they are being elevated in importance. The intelligent systems have now the ability to make our infrastructure come to life - and provide greater value to those that depend on it.

The great enabler of this shift is the world of information and communications technology (ICT), and more specifically the Internet and IP networks. Networks become the new addition to the DNA of our infrastructure. We have seen already numerous examples where connected and smarter infrastructure has the ability to positively impact economic, social, and environmental sustainability. My blogs have covered several of these examples, and please keep reading them as there are more to come.

The trend of smarter and more connected infrastructure is unstoppable as every sensor, device, system (and user) will become a node on the Internet and its worldwide networks. We [as in leaders in the construction, design, development, ICT industries, and many other stakeholders] have now the stewardship to channel this transformation into a direction that is repeatable and sustainable. Together we have the ability to (re)build the fabric of our communities through the intelligent use of technology and innovation. As we see this technology and innovation converge with bricks and mortar, we will end up with infrastructure that meets our, and our children’s, rapidly growing expectations in a resource constraint world.

At Cisco Plus in Canada on Wednesday May 16^th, a selected group of leaders in the infrastructure industry (architects, engineers, developers, builders) will gather to discuss the implications of “clicks and mortar”, and the opportunities it will provide to all that are interesting pursuing them. The future is here, let’s now optimize and monetize it, together.

When you are visiting Cisco Plus, please attend also the Business Session “Managing Unprecedented Change with Business Transformation” by Sandy Hogan (Cisco Vice President of Americas Business Transformation) on Wednesday May 16^th at 11am EST.

There has been a lot of activity today on vacant land near the city centre of Edmonton. Public and private sector officials, citizens and press gathered in a make-shift tent to witness the groundbreaking of the Boyle Renaissance project. The crowd included renowned guests like the Mayor of Edmonton Stephen Mandel, TV personality Mike Holmes and officials at the Métis Capital Housing Corporation.

The groundbreaking was for a 90-unit residential project that will provide senior-friendly and barrier-free housing for Métis seniors and the disabled. The project is being spearheaded by Mike Holmes’ team, The Holmes Group, and his partners, and will result in an excellent facility that combines the highest quality of design, construction, energy sustainability and innovation.

Two partners joining Mike at the event were Enmax and Cisco Canada. Enmax Energy will provide the necessary infrastructure for district energy and combined heat and power, giving the building an advanced heating and power system that will use cleaner burning natural gas and meet the highest standards of building energy efficiency.

We at Cisco Canada will provide the network infrastructure that will form the “backbone” of the facility. The building will demonstrate the latest capabilities in systems convergence and provide for an intelligent, and connected, future-enabled environment. Over the top of this centralized IP infrastructure, the Boyle Renaissance will include Cisco’s Smart + Connected Communities (S+CC) Control4 Connected Home solution to deliver user friendly capabilities for the future residents of the building.

In the tent that has been put together for the groundbreaking ceremony, we are demonstrating the possibilities and capabilities of the Connected Home solution. The ability to completely control the home and advanced home applications from a single touch pad interface including turning off lights, lowering blinds adjusting room temperatures and changing channels on the TV– was proudly demonstrated by one of the Métis members.

The technology that will be implemented in the Boyle Renaissance project will provide cutting-edge and user-friendly features and functionalities that will enhance the quality of living for the project’s residents; and will make moving around a lot more effortless.

The success of this highly anticipated project (mind you, the first shovel only went into the ground today) is expected to become the model for future construction within the Métis portfolio and the City of Edmonton. I trust it will also spill over in the rest of Alberta and Canada at large.

We are all hopeful that together, we are re-calibrating the standards for 21st Century building development. Cisco Canada and The Holmes Group will continue to partner to push the envelope and move the ancient-old design and construction industry onto new, greener pastures with the latest and greatest innovation in design, construction and technology.

For more on today’s groundbreaking, please read the press release.

Last month, I participated in a panel discussion at Cleantech North on partnering for the establishment and growth of Cleantech applications and investments. Truth to be told: I’m no expert in Cleantech – but am certainly aware of its importance for addressing environmental sustainability while providing positive financial returns for investors and customers.

Cleantech refers to new technology and related business models that provide superior performance at lower cost; reduces or eliminates negative environmental impact; and improves the productive and responsible use of natural resources. Cleantech is mostly equated with renewable energy (wind power, solar power, biomass, hydropower, biofuels) but includes many other appliances that are now more energy efficient.

Being part of one of the largest technology companies in the world, I see the unequivocal relevance of IT in Cleantech and the significance of partnerships in the pursuit of economically sustainable innovation that addresses the many environmental challenges we face on Earth.

(1)   IT is Cleantech. Although technology is often accused of being a great contributor to energy consumption and inefficiency, it certainly can have much greater impact on the betterment of our environment (if you pick the right solutions from the right company). With the deployment of virtualization, we centralize the compute power and subsequent energy load—while delivering distributed and improved services and applications. This consolidation of IT functions has a tremendous impact on the overall environmental footprint, while providing greater flexibility and resiliency.

Furthermore, the use of business video (TelePresence) has a tremendous impact on businesses carbon footprint if make it avoid financial and environmental costly business and commuter travel. Ultra-high Definition and easy to use video communications will bring people together virtually without the hardship on the environment. At Cisco alone we have been able to reduce our carbon emissions by 40% thanks to the use of TelePresence and the elimination of business travel. Oh, and by the way, it also saved the company more than $1B in productivity gains and travel expense reduction.

Lastly, IT devices become more intelligent and energy efficient themselves while delivering more powerful capabilities; the IP Network has now the ability to improve energy performance of its connected IT edge devices (with EnergyWise).

(2)   Everything IT touches can be Green. The positive impact IT can have on the environment goes beyond its own components and devices. As we live in a world where everything becomes connected, we now can use the IP Network (the underlying nervous system of all IT) to monitor, measure, control, and optimize the energy consumption of everything we do, everything we use, and everything we touch. Consider the intelligent optimization of the Smart Grid (with renewable energy end-points) as we understand what and how much to deliver when and where, while harmonizing everything that connects to the grid.

Within buildings we see the converge of HVAC, lighting, and other building systems (that aren’t necessarily IT systems—yet) over the single IP Network which now provides the ability to improve the overall energy footprint. Our mobile devices can consume real-time data of our environmental impact and provide us with strategies to contribute to its reduction.

This latter argument requires partnering….and lots of it. It’s the governments, venture capital world and companies like ours that need to embrace the many innovators out there that are seeking to play a role in the improvement of our environment. If we can spend Billions on bail-outs and Trillions on wars, we certainly should be able to find the capital (financial and intellectual) to spearhead new technologies and business models that can make our world a better (and greener) place. In turn, we would all welcome financial returns and an eco-system that will help us grow greater business opportunities and create new industries and jobs. Cleantech is good for everyone: IT is good for Cleantech and Cleantech can’t do without IT.

We are walking into the Rêve, one of Tridel’s latest developments on King West in Toronto. This 14-storey residential building is one of the most advanced, enabled, and green communities in town.

As we walk in, we are greeted by the concierge that is not actually there. A high-definition Cisco TelePresence video solution beams the concierge in from some remote location. It’s as if she’s there and provides us directions as no in-person experience would have done any better. [Virtual Concierge]

On the 14^th floor, we enter the Eco-Suite. This sustainable home combines high quality design, environmental features, and the latest technologies in an effort to augment and improve the experience of condo living as we know it.

Where we once would expect light switches, we now find touch displays that control much more than light. For every room in the suite, we can control our lights, blinds, energy, TV and audio. It provides also the platform for accessing new web-based applications and value-added services. The same features and functionalities (and look and feel) are available on the TV screen, internet, and handheld devices.

Solar panels on the roof generate and augment power for the building, and many other environmental features such as green roofs, recycled building materials, and water-saving automatic faucets provide the ideal home for the environmentally conscious residents in the LEED-certified Rêve.

Surely, it is not about the technology or the panels on the roof, or even the TelePresence video solutions in the building.  All those are merely a means to an end: creating an environment (both physical and virtual) that becomes an extension and enabler for the rapidly changing expectations we have of life in an increasingly connected world.

We are looking for comfort, safety and security (both physical and virtual), health, flexibility and future-readiness, access to friends, family, and information, anytime and anywhere, and the ability to personalize everything around us as we see fit and when we see fit. We want to have all this while using as few resources as possible and leaving a smaller footprint in the world.

With the proliferation of connected devices (from tablets, smart phones, laptops, to the intelligence in our cars, and even our fridges and stoves) we can now surround ourselves ubiquitously with enabling technologies that provide the means to that end. Where typically this ability is limited to the devices that we carry; Tridel now made it integral part of the spaces that we live in.

Design, technology, the environment, innovation, and life… all becoming one.

Today we received three powerful presentations of cloud-based application providers in the Smart + Connected space. One is an up-and-coming star in automated fault detection and energy management. Another is leading in dashboards and process optimization through data visualization. The last one showed some impressive analytics for carbon measurement and reporting. All three are nothing but impressive and I look forward doing business with all of them – but they’re also not the first nor alone. I truthfully don’t remember how many cloud-based application providers we have met and whose solutions we have reviewed. One is better than the other, and we may have to see eventually how this market will shake itself down.

Naturally, there is nothing wrong with all this. It’s the new way. This is where the future lies for all businesses; and so also for the construction and real estate industry (who by and large - with few exceptions - does not quite understand the impact this will have on business as we know it).

Flashback. 18 years ago. In my first conversation with my Harvard professor, I was introduced to the concept of “Islands of Automation”. Interesting concept: there is all this wealth of facility and operational data sitting in many disparate systems and software that seem not able to communicate with one another in an effort to optimize building performance and the eventual experience in the environment. The result is: multiple screens, multiple interfaces, multiple control…lots of cost and inefficiency. There must and shall be ways with which we can better utilize all this silo-ed information and create higher performance buildings.

Now, back to today. Yes. We did it. Indeed, a standardized foundational infrastructure is deployed to tap into all these disparate systems and free up the wealth of building data that finds itself locked in proprietary silos: introducing the Network as the Platform for Building Transformation (shameless plug). IP has become the standard to moving bits and bites around to power up these valuable and up and coming cloud-based applications.

However….if we (simplistically) break their services down in three layers; we recognize that this new industry is fighting over at least two layers that they all have in common. (1) access to the data and the ownership of the data warehouse. All deploy many (sometimes proprietary or customized) ways to extract the data from the building. (2) the visualization of data through sexy and easy-to-use dashboards. One is prettier than the other. As a customer, do I now still have many different websites to go to in order to access my data (energy, carbon, maintenance, fault detection, etc…..mind you; there is probably not ONE perfect app out there; we’re going for “best of breed”).

(3) the actual meat and potatoes—the analytics. It is this 3^rd (architecturally considered the middle layer) that really sets the vendors apart. Where the real value is added.

If a building owner can’t “standardize” on data collection, aggregation, and warehousing (call it the back-end);  as well as the front end access (dashboards) of the information; and naturally one Network that connects the two together….aren’t we still building Islands of Automation, yet now they’re in the cloud? Different tentacles reach in the building to grab what they need, yet ignoring the possible value of the aggregate? Various data warehouses on different databases around the world capturing bits and pieces of building performance data that is required for the specific service or function? We still may need bridges between the islands of automation. They now have become virtual. Who is going to capitalize on the new bridge construction…and tolls?

Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is the discipline that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. "Innovation inspired by nature”, as Biomimicry Institute calls it. The idea is that nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the problems we are struggling with. Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. They have found what works, what is appropriate, and most important, what lasts here on Earth. Nature is 100% productive. Everything happens for a reason, and nothing is wasted. Once upon a time, humans were part of this perfect eco-system. Somehow, with all invention and innovation, we seem to have forgotten how to positively contribute to the perfect eco-system. As humans we are only 30% productive, and consequently are slowing nature down (think: melting ice caps and destroyed rain forests) until one day it’ll come to a grinding halt.

If we are truly on such path of destruction, what means do we have to our disposal to help us get out of this mess? In product development (e.g. Velcro) and architecture (e.g. natural cooling), we already see great efforts to mimic nature for improved efficiencies. The key is to optimize and manage the lifecycle of everything around us—perfecting the flow of people, water, electrons, materials, and other natural resources. To do this, we need to have a way to monitor, manage, and control this flows, and through natural behaviors and analytics drive continuous optimization into the process. Information Technology [one of the latest innovations that may have further removed us from the perfect eco lifecycle] can now possibly be used in our advantage. As we live in a connected world, IT provides us the means to do this monitoring, managing, and controlling of flows. Will we ever get back to 100% productivity? We may simply have to!

...and a Greener World because of Networked Buildings.

Written for www.automatedbuildings.com

Introducing the Internet of Things—including Sustainability

It started early 90s when businesses took on the Internet to support their marketing and drive early-adopter productivity measures into their organizations (websites, emails, extranets). When in the late 90s the consumers moved onto the Internet the World Wide Web became a place to connect, interact, and transact. The consumerization of the Internet accelerated innovation, business transformation, and subsequent growth.

Just at the beginning of this last decade, approximately 400 million devices communicated over the Internet. The Network had proven to be the platform that connects people to people, people to machines, and machines to machines.

The turn of the decade marked the industrialization of the Internet. EVERYTHING is getting connected. It is estimated that, not many years from now, more than 1 trillion devices will be communicating over the Internet driving more than ½ a zettabyte of traffic over the Network. From cars, to refrigerators, to shopping carts and consumer goods, to more and more mobile devices, as well as smart meters, streetlights and light bulbs, toilets and soap dispensers, sensors, HVAC controllers [check out video from Controls & Equipment that shows the state of IP and POE controllers in the industry], and so forth—everything will be connected to the Internet of Things. There is no stopping this.

So, what does that mean to us [the building automation and real estate industry], and how does this make for greener buildings? Let’s look at the benefits that an inexhaustible Networked World can have on environmental sustainability through three lenses:

Sustainable Work

We build buildings to support the way we learn, live, work, and play. We work smarter, live smarter, learn smarter, and play smarter; why would our buildings not need to be smarter? Therefore, why don’t we first explore how a Networked World can help us optimize the experience we have in our buildings? Ultimately, a building is only truly intelligent if it helps advance user experience and productivity. Mobility and business video are among the two biggest drivers that empower people to be productive anytime and anywhere. The rapid growth of tablet devices is merely proof of the increasing desire for people to have access to productivity tools, anywhere they want. It is surely transforming everything we do.

Cisco has fully embraced business video [Telepresence] to keep people out of planes and improve their individual and group productivity. Since the launch of Telepresence in 2009, the company has installed more than 1,000 video end-points across its 400-building portfolio. As of February 13, 2011, 32% of all meetings at Cisco avoided travel, saving the company $782M and 422,092 metric tons of GHG emissions. Simultaneously, the company measured $293M in productivity cost savings. The Telepresence rooms have a 63% overall average room utilization—making them among the most utilized and productive environments within our real estate portfolio. The improved means of communication (in quality, quantity, and interactions) have resulted in the shortening of sales cycles by nearly 10%. You can arguably forget about everything else in this article—Business video is Sustainability At Work.

Sustainable Place

Mobility, business video, and numerous other ways in which we transform the way we live, learn, work, and play has a corresponding impact on the actual space that we need. The utilization and productivity of buildings can increase dramatically. At Cisco we are measuring a 33% improvement of utilization because of the changes in the way how we work—which means that we can “do more with less”… less desks, less cabling, less floor space, less heating and less cooling. The impact of technology on design and functional programming has to be considered by any space planner and corporate real estate department. There are big savings to be had if only technology and innovation are taken into account in the planning, design, and construction phases.

Sustainable Buildings

The Networked World allows us to access and address all people, systems, and devices that in their own right contribute to our carbon footprint. As we now –and only now— are able to holistically measure their impact on the environmental sustainability in real time, we find true ability to monitor and subsequently control environmental performance and outputs. THE CLOUD is giving us virtual means to consistently and continuously optimize the performance and productivity of our buildings.

It is not about building systems anymore; it is about building intelligence (or analytics). Building automation is becoming a means to an end. We can all (user, owner, operator, etc) benefit from the ability to do something more intelligent with all the valuable data that already resides in the many systems and devices within the built environment. Sustainable Buildings can extract this information and provide real-time feedback as to the necessary performance improvements that will drive down energy consumption and GHG emissions. This connectivity and interoperability between everything in our buildings can be achieved by integration and convergence onto one single IP Network—and the normalization of the many protocols in the building automation, security, and technology industries.

Convergence, integration, and inter-operability have proven to reduce energy consumption by 25%, and reduce operating cost by up to 10%.

Convergence

Those that occupy real estate should consider the convergence of “work”, “place”, and “buildings” and seek to optimize the total rather than a part. The environmental, economic, and social benefits of energy savings, no matter how cleverly it has been achieved, may simply be dwarfed by the benefits of changing how we work, or how we use our spaces. Embrace technology and innovation to help meet the sustainability objectives.

The capabilities and technologies; the companies that can help build, install, and maintain them; and the processes by which to use them to reduce a company’s—community’s—, or country’s carbon footprint are all there.

Nothing discussed here is “new” or bleeding edge. All it takes is a persistent owner and customer; willing and cooperative industry participants; and the appreciation that the status quo won’t get us the change we need.  Hmmm…did we just put our finger on the real problem the industry is facing?