Interfacing Smart Buildings with City Services and Infrastructure

Smart Buildings


Sectors	Smart Buildings
Contact	Heather Ipsen
Topics	Cybersecurity for Smart Buildings Grid-Interactive, Efficient and Connected Buildings (GEBs) Interfacing Smart Buildings with City Services and Infrastructure Organizational and Individual Productivity and Wellness of Smart Buildings Smart Building-related Mobility Smart Buildings O&M

Authors

This section discusses some of the opportunities relative to an interface of the buildings and city services and infrastructure where utility companies, local governments, and property owners can partner to improve the built environment, and operational efficiency, save money, and conserve resources.

The first part outlines the benefits of good Buildings and City infrastructure interface and describes the connections of Smart Buildings to City Services and Infrastructure. The second section will outline recommended KPIs of the good interface of building with urban services. The third section identifies various elements of Building-connected City Services and Infrastructure and the final section provides a Case Study.

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The benefits of good buildings and city infrastructure interface

The interface between a building and city infrastructure is beneficial to the successful functioning of a city, the livability of its urban spaces, and the sustainability of its built environment. A well-designed, good interface can have several benefits:

Efficient Resource Management: Good building/city interfacing ensures optimal use of utilities like water, electricity, gas, etc. This results in less waste and better conservation of resources.
Integrated Transportation: A well-planned interface allows for the smooth movement of people, goods, and services. It supports public transport, encourages walking and cycling, and reduces dependency on private vehicles, thus reducing traffic congestion and pollution.
Accessibility: It ensures that city services and facilities are accessible to all residents, including those with disabilities.
Improved Safety and Security: Good design can increase visibility and surveillance in public spaces, reducing crime and improving safety. It can also ensure better access for emergency services.
Urban Sustainability: By facilitating efficient use of resources and reducing pollution, a well-planned building/city interface contributes to the sustainability of the city. It also allows for better integration of open and green spaces and can help in managing the impacts of climate change.
Health and Wellness: Urban design can influence residents' physical activity levels and mental health. For instance, infrastructure that encourages walking or cycling can help combat obesity and related health issues. Meanwhile, easy access to parks and open spaces can contribute to mental well-being.
Social Cohesion and Quality of Life: Good design can create inviting public spaces that encourage social interaction and build community cohesion. It can also improve the quality of life by ensuring access to amenities and reducing noise and air pollution.
Adaptability: With good building/city interfacing, cities can be more resilient and adaptable to changes over time, whether they be population growth, technological advancements, or shifts in climate.
Reduced Maintenance Costs: Good building/city interfacing can lead to better coordination between different infrastructural elements, which can reduce maintenance costs and improve the lifespan of city infrastructure.

By focusing on the interface between buildings and city infrastructure, municipalities and urban planners can create cities that are more livable, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.

Buildings Connections to City Services and Infrastructure

Buildings connect to various city services and infrastructure in multiple ways, depending on the specific service in question. Both building owners and the City can enhance and improve upon the efficiency and delivery of those services by embracing the numerous technological advancements. that have been made by Smart Technology over the past few years. Here are a few key focus areas for cities looking to capitalize on the opportunity to adopt a new, smarter mode of operation through a good interface with buildings:

Means of access by public or private transport and mobility: The street presence of the building typically gives the first impression. Well-integrated landscapes, open plazas, easy transportation drop-off and well-designed bicycle storage can provide pleasant and inviting building entries. Proximity and access to public transit systems like buses, trains, trams, or subways is a crucial aspects of city infrastructure.
Green Infrastructure: In some cities, buildings might be connected to urban green spaces, which are designed to manage stormwater, reduce the heat island effect, increase biodiversity, and provide recreational spaces.
Telecommunications: Buildings are connected to telecommunication networks through a combination of underground or above-ground cables and wireless connections. This includes internet, telephone, and cable TV services. Increasingly public information kiosks as well as security systems are becoming part of exterior building infrastructure.
Emergency Services: Buildings need to be accessible to emergency services such as fire departments, medical emergency services, and law enforcement. While not a "connection" in the same way as utilities, access (such as roads, emergency access lanes, and so on) is a critical consideration.
Energy systems Buildings are connected to the power grid through a series of power lines, transformers, and circuits, which often need to be accessible by utilities or municipal employees. In some cities, particularly in colder climates, buildings might be connected to district heating systems, where a central plant distributes heated water to multiple buildings in the area. The same concept applies to district cooling systems.
Water Supply: Buildings are connected to the city's water supply through a network of underground pipes. These pipes carry potable water from water treatment plants or reservoirs to individual buildings.
Sewerage System: Wastewater from buildings is carried away through another network of pipes, typically distinct from the water supply to wastewater treatment plants. Here, the wastewater is treated before it's returned to the environment.
Electricity: The power is often generated at a distant location and is transmitted over long distances to urban areas.
Natural Gas: Similar to water, buildings can be connected to natural gas supplies via underground pipelines. This gas is used for cooking, heating, and in some cases, power generation.
Waste Disposal: Municipalities organize regular trash and recycling pickup. Buildings usually have designated areas for waste storage until it can be collected.
District Heating/Cooling:An urban infrastructure that centralizes thermal energy supply for multiple buildings in a district. This system employs sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to monitor real-time data, which is analyzed using machine learning and predictive analytics to optimize energy generation and distribution. The system may also use renewable energy, and waste heat sources, and integrate with the smart grid to interact with other energy systems.

The specific mix and extent of these connections can vary widely depending on the location, age, and type of the building, as well as local infrastructure and regulations.

The KPIs of interface of building with urban services

KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are specific, quantifiable measures used to track the performance or quality of various aspects of a system. In the context of evaluating the interface of a building with urban services, several KPIs may be relevant. The choice of KPIs would depend on the specific objectives of the stakeholders, but here are some general ones to consider:

Accessibility: The extent to which the building is accessible from key urban services such as public transportation, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, etc. This can be measured using indicators such as walking distance or travel time.
Integration with Public Transport: The level of ease for residents or visitors to use public transportation. This could be measured through indicators like the number of public transport stops within a certain radius, the frequency of services, or the number of different routes accessible.
Energy Efficiency: The degree to which the building-related uses, such as exterior lighting uses energy efficiently, which is particularly relevant for urban sustainability. This can be measured using indicators such as energy use per square foot or the Energy Use Intensity (EUI).
Water Efficiency: Similarly, water use per capita or per square foot could be used as KPIs to measure water efficiency.
Waste Management: The effectiveness of the building's waste management can be evaluated using KPIs such as the recycling rate, waste generation per capita, or the percentage of waste that is diverted from landfills. The number of waste truck trips could also be an indication of waste management effectiveness.
Safety and Security: KPIs could include the number of incidents reported, the presence of safety features (e.g., security cameras, alarms), or the response time of emergency services.
Quality of Life: This could include a variety of KPIs, from noise levels to air quality, to access to green spaces, all contributing to the general well-being of residents or users.
Smart Infrastructure Integration: The integration of buildings with urban services through IoT devices is increasingly important. KPIs might include the number of smart devices installed, the level of automation, or user satisfaction with these services.
Economic Factors: The economic viability of the building, including indicators like rental or sale price per square foot, occupancy rate, or return on investment.

The choice of KPIs would depend on what the stakeholders want to prioritize and measure. The specific urban context and the building's intended use (residential, commercial, etc.) would also influence the selection of KPIs.

Building Connected City Services & Infrastructure KPI’s.jpg

Figure 1: Relationship of the three H-KPI levels of the Building Connected City Services & Infrastructure
( In the web version clicking on the particular component of the diagram will take you to the relevant text section)

Building-Connected City Services and Infrastructure

Smart Exterior Lighting

Smart Exterior Building Lighting and Streetlight infrastructure is the perfect platform to deploy smart city technologies and services using connected devices and a low-bandwidth wireless network. This approach is aligned with the utility industry as a whole. Changing inefficient HID lighting with LED streetlights is a good place to start, but what if a streetlight was capable of more than simply lighting a street? Municipalities across the country are looking toward streetlight assets to lower civic costs, increase efficiencies, drive economic growth, engage citizens, and improve city life. Partnership with a local utility company is critical to take this step toward becoming a smarter city. An integral part of smart city initiatives are “smart poles”, which blend multiple services into one urban infrastructure, functioning as lighting, telecommunication antennas, security surveillance, environmental monitors, electric vehicle charging stations, traffic management systems, emergency service providers, and digital signage platforms. They carry energy-efficient LED lighting, 4G or 5G network coverage, Wi-Fi hotspots, CCTV cameras, air quality and weather sensors, EV chargers, traffic sensors, emergency buttons, and digital screens for information display. The data they gather aids in informed urban planning and city management, enhancing the efficiency, sustainability, and livability of urban environments.

Information kiosks

Information kiosks in smart buildings and cities are interactive displays or booths that provide residents and visitors with a range of services and information. They help people navigate by offering maps, directions, and real-time updates on transportation. Kiosks also provide details on local businesses, services, amenities, emergency assistance, public transportation, weather updates, events, and cultural information. They serve as a hub for accessing digital city services, offering multilingual support and displaying local news, promotions, and advertisements. The goal is to improve the overall experience of individuals by providing convenient access to relevant information and services and fostering efficiency, convenience, and connectivity in the urban environment.

Location analytics

Various locational devices and technologies enable the identification of office occupancy or retail traffic. Wi-Fi tracking involves monitoring Wi-Fi signals emitted by devices like smartphones to track movement and estimate foot traffic. Bluetooth beacons detect nearby Bluetooth devices, allowing businesses to track movement patterns for occupancy insights. Video analytics analyze footage using computer vision algorithms to estimate occupancy and track foot traffic. Infrared sensors detect the presence and movement of individuals by emitting and detecting infrared radiation. Occupancy sensors, utilizing technologies like infrared, ultrasonic, or microwave sensors, can measure real-time occupancy. It's important to adhere to privacy regulations and ethical considerations, implementing consent and anonymization methods to protect individuals' privacy and data.

Digital Signage

Government facilities that utilize digital signage in common areas are able to create a superior experience for their visitors. It is also possible to personalize content for visitors. For instance, if a new visitor were to swipe a badge or card when entering a building, or scan a QR code, the sign could be programmed to display information that is specifically helpful to that person (e.g. displayed in a particular language or suggestions on where to go). Digital signage can provide directions to specific offices or meeting rooms or provide information on upcoming events, and they often help to form the first impression for a visitor entering a building. These displays can be tethered together and controlled by a wired or wireless connection, eliminating the need for staff to create and/or change static signs throughout a building or campus. Installing these displays at entrances or in gathering areas provides an opportunity to have a captive audience, and will improve a visitor’s initial experience with local government. Digital displays can incorporate civic calendars, and digital media, and also be used in emergencies to notify employees and visitors of a specific facility or community concerns.

Video Conference Equipment

Similar to digital signage, video conferencing equipment should be considered in any municipality or campus with multiple on- and off-site buildings. Connections made between these buildings provide ample opportunities to save money and enhance staff efficiency and well-being. For example, the City of Schenectady uses this system to virtually connect four Fire Stations together to perform daily training. This virtual connection alone saves thousands of dollars per year on fuel costs. Before having this system in place, fire department vehicles and personnel would have to regularly drive to our main station in order to have classroom training sessions. Now they are connected virtually, with the same level of interactivity made possible by two-way video and audio. Not only is the City saving on fuel costs, but we are also able to maintain the apparatuses in their own running districts during the required fire and EMS training in case of emergency. Future applications may include the incorporation of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to enhance user experience and broaden education opportunities.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Installing EV chargers in buildings has several significant impacts. It promotes the adoption of electric vehicles by providing convenient charging infrastructure and reducing range anxiety. It supports sustainable transportation by reducing emissions and improving air quality. Buildings with EV chargers attract tenants or customers who own electric vehicles, increasing occupancy rates and appealing to environmentally conscious individuals. The installation of EV chargers enhances building value, especially in regions with growing electric vehicle adoption. Building owners can generate revenue by charging services, recouping costs and potentially making a profit. EV chargers can be integrated into smart grid systems, optimizing charging based on demand and maximizing renewable energy use. Coupled with energy management systems, EV chargers promote energy efficiency and reduce costs. Installing EV chargers in workplaces enhances employee satisfaction and attracts top talent while promoting sustainable commuting and green workplace culture. The impact of EV chargers varies based on location, capacity, accessibility, and overall electric vehicle adoption. Making a municipality EV-friendly, however, requires that infrastructure is incorporated into government facilities, as well as into the public street network.

In the City of Schenectady, there are currently 18 charging stations and 8 City-owned electric vehicles, with 10 more stations currently in design. The City’s goal is to continue to add additional electric vehicles and stations on a yearly basis. Electric Vehicles (EVs) have lowered the City’s carbon footprint significantly since 2017. In 2019, the City saved over 13,260 kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – the equivalent of 33,000 miles driven in an average passenger vehicle. The City’s charging stations are well-utilized by the public and City employees: the peak number of charging sessions was 445 in July and August 2019, and the average number of sessions for all of 2019 was 336. Currently, there is no charge for public electric charging, so the cost of electricity dispensed averages about $150 per month for the City’s fleet and public use combined.

Robotic Deliveries

Automated robotic deliveries to buildings are typically services that use robots to deliver various goods. These goods can include parcels, food, groceries, medicines, and other packages from the distribution center or shop directly to your doorstep or designated location within a building. The robots are usually small, self-driving vehicles, drones, or even droids designed to navigate sidewalks, streets, and hallways. In terms of apartment buildings or offices, there may be specific robots for indoor navigation to deliver goods within the building. These could include robots for room service in hotels, delivery in large offices, or food delivery in residential buildings.

Smart Water Conservation

Managing water resources is an important commitment of any community. Smart sensors can monitor leaks and are even used in some communities to help monitor vacant homes. These sensors can communicate in a variety of ways, including cell service, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and LoRa. Smart sensors that detect leaks should be considered in any Smart building or City deployment, as they can prevent dangerous situations from arising in both commercial and residential areas.

Other smart devices are also available to monitor the amounts and times when landscaping is being irrigated. These devices can help eliminate water waste, particularly in areas where water is at a premium or used on a large scale.

Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Recycling

The supply of ample and potable water is becoming a key resource management challenge in municipalities across the world. Water, however, is not always regarded as a valuable resource, and there is too much waste. Smart buildings have the potential to change this.

In smart buildings, water can be used more than once as recycled water for certain applications, such as irrigation, toilet flushing and other greywater applications. By recycling water, valuable potable water drawn from exhausted aquifers and other sources can be reserved for immediate consumption by building occupants.

Stormwater (e.g. rainwater) can be harvested for greywater applications or irrigation. In fact, water use trends suggest that rainwater is increasingly being used as a substitute for potable water where it is deemed safe.

Wastewater recycling is a relatively new practice, but it has great potential since the availability of recycled wastewater does not depend on intermittent rainfall. Oftentimes, during drought periods, the demand for irrigation is the highest and the availability of scarce rainfall is at its lowest. The availability of recycled wastewater, on the other hand, is more predictable since the amount of wastewater is directly linked to the use of potable water.

There are new technologies that treat wastewater onsite (e.g. at the building level) rather than in centralized treatment plants. Stepping away from the old centralized model of treating and managing wastewater not only saves precious water resources but also saves communities significant amounts of money and reduces overall energy usage.

Smart Waste [[1]]

There are several innovative methods being researched and implemented for the collection of waste in buildings and cities. Here are some examples:

Smart Waste Bins: IoT-enabled waste bins can alert the waste management company when they're almost full. This optimizes the routes of garbage trucks and saves time, fuel, and reduces emissions. This technology can also help to avoid overflow, thus maintaining the cleanliness of the city.
Automated Vacuum Waste Systems (AVAC): They use a network of underground pneumatic tubes to transport waste from buildings to a central collection point. Each type of waste (e.g., organic, recyclable, non-recyclable) has a separate tube, making it easy to sort and process. This method is not only efficient but also hygienic, as it avoids the need for traditional waste collection vehicles and reduces road traffic.
AI-Driven Waste Management Platforms: These platforms use artificial intelligence to analyze and predict waste generation patterns, optimize waste collection routes, manage inventory, and much more. They can provide a real-time overview of the entire waste management infrastructure and operations, thereby increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

While these methods might help in managing waste, the best waste is the waste that is not produced. Efforts should be made to minimize waste production and promote a circular economy.

Case study

National Grid / City of Schenectady REV Demonstration Project

The National Grid / City of Schenectady REV Demonstration Project is a current example of the vast array of opportunities presented by forming a partnership between a city and a utility company. The City of Schenectady has partnered with local utility company, National Grid, on a “Reforming the Energy Vision” (REV) Demonstration project to not only become a Smart City for the benefit of local residents but also in hopes of providing a replicable business model for other cities and utility companies across the country. This project includes replacing 4200 lights with much more efficient technology while adding a number of smart technologies tailored to the needs of the city’s citizens, employees, and visitors.

Many communities like the City of Schenectady are looking for opportunities to save energy and become more efficient in the services they supply to residents and businesses. Converting HID lighting to Wi-Fi and/or other communication-enabled LED Smart Lighting will produce savings, improve maintenance, enhance public safety and public works, empower employees, and conserve natural resources. This technology also fosters innovation in government and the community. While one of the main objectives of this project is to reduce energy consumption, emerging technology allows the City and their partners to use this project as a platform for real change. Data will be collected and disseminated to users via Smart City platforms housed in city buildings, which will allow staff to make educated decisions in countless areas. A city-wide network will enable us to more fully integrate our facilities into the same network. Monitoring building operations as well as vacant properties will help reduce maintenance costs.

Integrated utility-grade smart meters will be capable of automatically submitting usage without human intervention and will help reduce incorrect billing by keeping accurate inventories. The “chips” inside these meters are as accurate, if not more accurate than the meters used by the utility company and located in our homes and businesses.

Current New York State Public Service Commission Tariffs (PSC 214) that govern the costs of Municipal Street lights in New York State do not provide for the opportunity to use or even test them, and as a result, the project is currently limited to flat rate calculations, which nullify any savings. Reviewing wireless metering capabilities will be a key part of the REV process.

By the City’s own calculations, the yearly energy savings with a switch to Smart LED is estimated to be over 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. Greenhouse gas calculators from the EPA show this as a reduction of 1,546 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to over 3.3 million miles of passenger car travel saved every year when the entire project is completed. Since dimming is a built-in capability of Smart Lighting networks, the potential exists to reduce usage during peak electric use times in order to help prevent brownouts and help balance loads across the grid.

A Smart City deployment is extremely important for the future of municipalities like the City of Schenectady, as it will help show the role a local government can play in improving and enhancing citizens’ increasingly digital lives. Learning more about how smart building technologies in everyday operations is a critical step in developing and maintaining any Smart City operation.

Recommendations and Conclusion

The the City of Schenectady study is meant to be a guide to any city and/or utility company looking to improve the way they integrate smart buildings and operate and deliver services to citizens. There are numerous technologies that can be adopted in a Smart City project, and it can be difficult to decide where to invest time, money, and effort. The recommended areas of focus, as detailed above, are:

City	Utility
Smart City Services Lighting Payment Kiosks / Online Payments Location Analytics Electric Vehicle Charging Stations	Grids Demand Response Microgrids – Public, Private, PPP Smart Grids Solar and Wind Renewable Energy Systems Transactive Grids Demand Dispatch and Smart Grids
Smart City Communication Platform Public Wi-Fi 5G Digital Signage Video Conference Equipment	Energy Storage Building as a Battery Thermal Energy Storage
Smart Street Lighting Technology	Weather Related Conditions Wind, Rain and Snow Flood Events Water Conservation Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Recycling
	Business Models Energy monitoring Fire and Intrusion Detection New Form of HVAC Gas Detection Public/Private partnerships – Performance Contracting Opportunities to reduce costs and incentivize reduced energy usage

As the National Grid/ City of Schenectady REV Demonstration Project case study shows, by working together to harness the power of the wide variety of smart technology available on the market today, cities and utility companies can lead the way in creating smart communities worldwide. Even if it takes building just one Smart Building at a time, there is plenty to gain from investing in smart technologies that cater to the needs of citizens.