Analytics Turn Building Data into Actionable Information
Building operators are getting more value from the flood of data
Buildings can generate vast amounts of information. But many facility managers lack convenient ways to turn the flood of data into information they can use to prioritize and act. Analytics software can help solve that problem. Sophisticated analytics algorithms scan and filter data to find patterns, trends and problems that would otherwise be obscured by the volume of data. For example, credit card companies run analytics to identify unusual purchasing activity on a card. Once such activity has been flagged, the credit card company can contact the cardholder to determine if the purchases were legitimate.
In building efficiency, analytics make it easier to manage operations and achieve energy goals. For instance, benchmarking analytics enable facility managers to compare the performance of a building to other buildings or to its own historical performance. Fault detection and diagnostics, or FDD, another type of analytics, can let facility mangers know when a system or piece of equipment isn't functioning as it should, so facility managers can quickly correct the problem.
Analytics can use building data to pinpoint equipment problems without the need for manual inspection, saving teams time and effort. They can identify small anomalies in building performance that might indicate bigger equipment failures looming down the road, allowing them to be resolved before they even occur. And they can help busy facility teams determine which efforts will provide the biggest payoff—save the most energy or prevent big expenditures down the road. In short, analytics are transforming how decisions are made, resources are allocated and buildings are operated.
