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ORIGIN OF INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS 

The origin of intelligent buildings can be traced to the industrial sector in the 1970’s. In the industrial sector, there were systems and controls used to automate production processes and optimize plant performances, Gary (2004). During the 1980’s this concept and its applications were adapted, improved and modularized. This made it possible to transfer the technology and systems to the residential and commercial sectors. The theory is simple. In essence it involves the control of the technologies which permit integration, automation and optimization of all the services and equipment that provide services and manages the environment of the building concerned.  The basis for the control of these technologies was originally formed by programmable logic controllers (PLC). On transferring it to commercial and residential applications, the technologies got based on distributed intelligence microprocessors.  These technologies have afforded the society today, the optimization of various site and building services. This as stated by Gary(2004) has often yielded tremendous cost reductions and large energy savings. In saving energy one has to be in full control of building services because they consume energy more. To control building services in a building, there are   two major techniques which can either be time based or optimizer parameter based. Under controlling building services through time based, one must provide heating or lighting  service only when needed, where as optimizer parameter based control uses a representative aspect of the services, such  as temperature for space heating or illuminance  for lighting .

HEATING

TIME BASED CONTROL OF BUILDING SERVICES.

     Here it is based on turning on and off of the heating system including water at pre-selected periods during the day or week.

OPTIMISER PARAMETER BASED

    Here the controls ensure that the building reaches desired temperature when the occupant of the building are around. Here also, to control temperature, protection against freezing or frost involves running heating system pumps and boilers when external temperature  reaches  a set level (0⁰c) .There are other optimizer systems like compensated systems, which control the flow  of temperature in the heating circuit relative to external temperature ,meaning that there will be a rise in circuit flow temperature when there is a drop in the outside temperature . Another system, thermostatic radiator valves, perceives temperature in room spaces and increase the flow of heat through the radiator to that area where as proportional system of control entails automatic switching on and off of equipment to regulate output. 

LIGHTING

Time based control. Here also there are different control systems .

TIME: This is to automatically switch on and off of the lights, in each zone to a schedule that is preset.

ZONES: To avoid lighting a whole large area, which may not be economical in energy utilization, a small portion of it is lighted according to need.

Passive infra –Red(P,R) occupancy sensing; When  an area  is occupied intermittently. Sensors are utilized to indicate whether or not anybody is present so that light can be switched on automatically.

Light level monitoring; artificial lighting systems are dimmed or brightened to maintain a level of light needed and measured by photocell.

reference

Garry Mills (2004) Intelligent buildings design and building management systems,

overview of ‘intelligent’ building and ‘intelligent homes’ technologies. Alan

Chapman edit. Code and design (1995 – 2006) www.businessballs.Com/intelligent

buildings design.htm