It Is Time to Switch to an Integrated Building Management System (IMBS)
10 Benefits of Switching to an IBMS for Your Commercial Space
As a commercial property owner or manager, optimizing operational efficiency is likely one of your top priorities. An integrated building management system, or IBMS, is a software solution that can help reduce costs, create the perfect environment for occupants, and secure compliance with regulations. By centralizing control and monitoring of various systems onto a single platform, an IBMS offers multiple benefits for any commercial space. In a time of rising energy prices, increased environmental concerns, and tightened regulations, an IBMS is essential for cost-effective building operations and management.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of switching to an IBMS.
What Is an Integrated Building Management System?
An IBMS is a centralized control platform that connects and automates the various systems within a commercial building. Here are just some of the systems that can be included in an IBMS:
HVAC: The IBMS can automatically adjust your building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning settings to create optimized temperatures for each zone of the building, allowing for maximum efficiency based on occupancy and outside weather conditions.
Lighting: Control all interior and exterior lighting from the IBMS. Create schedules to turn lights on/off based on the time of day and building usage. Dim or brighten lighting as needed for different spaces.
Security: Link security cameras, access control systems, and intrusion detection sensors to your IBMS. Continuous monitoring provides alerts to unauthorized access or security failures.
Fire Safety: Connect fire alarms and sprinkler systems to enable 24/7 monitoring. The IBMS alerts you to potential fires or malfunctions in the fire safety equipment and records regular testing to ensure compliance.
Plumbing: Monitor water usage and detect leaks through electronic metering and leak detection sensors tied into your IBMS. Receive alerts to potential flood situations before significant damage occurs.
Elevators: Monitor elevator usage and performance to optimize efficiency and passenger movement through the building. Detect malfunctions or emergencies for rapid response.
Integrating all these elements allows an IBMS to provide a holistic view of your commercial building’s management through a single interface. It automates many routine tasks and delivers critical data to enable better decision-making.
The Benefits of an IBMS for Your Commercial Space
Automating tasks and controlling various systems from one place offers numerous benefits. Here are the most common:
Save Money Through Efficiency
An integrated building management system lets you control and monitor building systems from a single interface. This consolidated control leads to greater efficiency, which translates to lower costs.
Reduce Energy Usage
With an IBMS, you can schedule your HVAC and lighting to turn off automatically during unoccupied hours. You can also adjust temperatures remotely based on the weather. These features typically reduce energy usage by 10-15% per year.
Prevent Costly Emergencies
By connecting all building systems into a single monitoring platform, an IBMS provides alerts to potential issues before they become emergencies. For example, the system can alert you to water leaks and electrical issues so that you can perform preventative maintenance or repairs. Tackling problems early will help you avoid the high costs of emergency repairs and system failures.
Improve Comfort and Productivity
When building systems are running at optimal efficiency, indoor environmental quality improves, which leads to greater comfort for occupants, which boosts productivity, satisfaction, and health.
Precisely Control Temperature
With an IBMS, you have complete control over the temperatures in different zones of your commercial building. You can increase or decrease the temperature in one area without impacting others. This precise control ensures ideal temperatures for occupant comfort throughout the day. When the building is unoccupied at night, over the weekends, or on holidays, you can reduce the HVAC’s work, thus lowering your energy bills.
Automate Lighting for Focus
You can program your IBMS to automatically adjust lighting based on the time of day and function of each space. For example, you can brighten office lighting in the morning to energize staff, then dim lights slightly in the afternoon to minimize eyestrain. This automated, purposeful lighting improves focus and productivity.
Enhance Regulatory Compliance
Commercial buildings must meet regulations around safety, security, and efficiency. An IBMS helps ensure all compliance requirements are met through automated monitoring, alerts, and reporting.
Fire Safety
Your IBMS can connect directly to fire alarms and suppression systems. It monitors these systems 24/7 to detect issues early and can automatically send alerts if there is a fire or failure in the fire safety equipment. The IBMS also records and reports on regular fire alarm testing to comply with regulations.
Energy Efficiency
Many areas have regulations around commercial building energy usage and emissions. An IBMS records your building’s energy consumption and efficiency over time. It can generate reports on your compliance with local regulations and help identify additional opportunities for improvement.
Tightened Security
When you link your IBMS to your building’s security cameras, access controls, and intrusion detection systems, it will continuously monitor these systems to detect unauthorized access and failures in the security equipment. The IBMS also maintains records of regular testing and maintenance required for compliance.
Explore IBMS Options for Your Commercial Property
An integrated building management system creates opportunities for cost savings, improved environmental quality, and simplified regulatory compliance. By consolidating control of all your building systems onto a single platform, an IBMS is a sound investment for optimizing your commercial space.
If you want to learn more about how an IBMS would work in your space, call Watson’s Charging Stations & Electric. We have been at the forefront of the electrification movement in Gilroy, CA, and the Santa Clara Valley for years, including designing, installing, and maintaining integrated building management systems.
Our licensed and insured team of Gilory electricians can not only help you maximize efficiency and lower utility costs in your commercial building, but we can handle any electrical job you need. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your building’s electrical system, add electric vehicle charging stations to the property, or perform an energy audit to find ways to reduce energy costs, we’re on the job.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation and explore how Watson’s Charging Stations & Electric can help you.