Buildings With Smarts

Your office building may soon know more about you than your colleague next door. The introduction of "smart grid" technology is enabling workspaces to identify the person at the station as an individual and set the lighting and temperature accordingly.

Buildings get smart by hooking up wireless-connected devices to their existing grids. Not only is this convenient for employees, it also offers cost-savings to owners and reduces the building's carbon footprint. Lights and HVAC systems — which, when combined, form the largest portion of building expenses and wasteful energy consumption – are controlled remotely or completely autonomously. Essentially, these services turn on (or off) when a room is entered or a device used.