February 9, 2016 - Building Automation
by Ken Sinclair
The Internet of Things is being built to mash. Our goal now is to achieve mashable integration of all our services and products. We need to create mashable pieces that will allow the creators of IoT gizmos and spimes to further create things never before imagined.
When I left for AHRExpo Orlando, I thought the theme of "making it mashable" was a leading thought, but as I discussed with the industries' thought leaders it became a clear vision on everyone's mind. It's not only just the goal of trying to make our creations mashable but the exhausting job searching the Internet of Things to see if mashable creations that are applicable presently exist.
Our education sessions in Orlando went well, the transformation of our industry is well underway with Internet of Things becoming part of everything. As we help define our role in the transformation it became very clear that making it mashable was a large part. I was pleased with the turn out and interactions at AHRExpo.
I am extremely pleased with Toby's column for our February issue as it adds depth to Making it Mashable. This comment, "The Internet of Things is being built to mash," says it all.
Built to Mash. Economic mashups enable allocation, balancing, and smoothing of resource use within a micromarket. - Toby Considine, TC9 Inc.
"It is hard to get our heads around a spimes defined as: Manufactured objects whose informational support is so overwhelmingly extensive and rich that they are regarded as material instantiations of an immaterial system. Spimes begin and end as data; they are designed on screens, fabricated by digital means, and precisely tracked through space and time throughout their earthly sojourn.
"Did you get that? The data within data is powerful and there is the increasing tendency of both gizmos and spimes to have well defined service interfaces that encapsulate their complexity and enable simpler high-level integration. Think about how well your smart phone does all that with a simple connection to the complex."
Part of the IoT consortia such as the AllSeen Alliance is to make appliances and lighting and security mashable. The AllSeen Alliance is a cross-industry consortium dedicated to enabling the interoperability of billions of devices, services and apps that comprise the Internet of Things.
Imagine a new generation of software, devices, applications, and products able to connect and share information to enable better decisions, create new markets, and stimulate new product development and industries we can’t even imagine today. That’s the promise of the Internet of Things — more than 30 billion connected devices changing the way we live, work, and learn.
Here is a start on this for our industry: The Energy Mashup Lab is all about encapsulating complex functionality within simpler (abstract) resource acquisitions, and then enabling mashups through common agent interfaces.
Do not become overwhelmed with all this, the simple message is: How do our products and services interact with other existing products and services? Are they mashable? Can they be used to create things the creators never imagined.
Making it Mashable was part of the fourth annual Connection Community Collaboratory, an educational discussion held in an open Orlando session at AHRExpo. Watch the video to understand better the trends in the connection community.
I am very pleased with our line-up of articles, columns, and interviews containing discussions about how we as an industry need to be mashable for our future with renewables, micro grids, social media, machine learning, automated fault detection, predictive analysis, and the path to Building Genius.
This article was a big part of our education sessions and speaks to how solar is poised to be our next big integration mashup equation.
Building with Sunshine. After decades in anticipation, the solar energy market has created a substantial and growing movement to integrate photovoltaics (PV) in buildings, where many of the building components and the solar energy production are one in the same. - Jim Sinopoli PE, RCDD, LEED AP, Managing Principal,Smart Buildings LLC
"Imagine building where the major components have photovoltaics embedded in the materials and products used in construction; the result being significant onsite production of solar power.
"We’re all familiar with or have at least seen solar panels on a building roof or a parking canopy. The solar panels have really been the face of solar energy to date, although solar heat can provide energy as well. Integrating photovoltaics in a building is something completely different.
"After decades of anticipation, the solar energy market has created a substantial and growing movement to integrate photovoltaics (PV) into buildings, where in many of the building components and the solar energy production are one in the same. The approach makes sense; solar energy in the building would generate power where it will be used so, and there is no need for any significant transmission or distribution. This eliminates any power losses and it is important to note integrating solar power in buildings doesn’t necessarily take up additional land or space."
This article connects us a new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research effort, and a study called Buildings Interoperability Landscape:
The Future: BG or BS? Buildings Genius (BG) or Buildings Savant (BS)? - Jack Mc Gowan, CEM, The Mc Gowan Group
"An answer to the title question could come from a new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research effort, and a study called Buildings Interoperability Landscape. Focusing on interoperability as the path to what I call Building Genius (BG), makes real sense. However we must overcome the industries predisposition to build and operate Building Savants (BS).
"Today’s buildings are typically savant, at best. Savants are individuals of average, or even below average, general intelligence; that are extremely gifted in one area. Many buildings today are called 'intelligent because of systems installed, but these systems and technology are often operated as islands of intelligence. Like a Savant, general intelligence may be below average and there is one system operating at an optimal level. Genius on the other hand has many definitions. Its use here describes when someone is not just brilliant in one area of knowledge; but has the ability to apply intellect and creativity across multiple areas of knowledge to achieve new advances.
"Interoperability, in much the same way, leverages intelligence in multiple systems (areas of knowledge) to achieve new advances in building performance. However I believe that the definition of 'Building Interoperability' must be expanded, because the current definition is derived more from its meaning when used in reference to IT not buildings.
"The complex interactions required with building systems demand a higher level of interoperability, and this cannot be achieved without a robust and effective instance of Big-Data Energy Analytics."
It is interesting to note that the mashups will come in many forms from several industries, it important also to note the pieces of each mashup will be used over and over to create new mashups creating concepts never conceived before. Designing ever service and product to be a useful mashup is our new goal.
Ken Sinclair is the founder, owner, and publisher of an online resource called AutomatedBuildings.com. He writes a monthly column for FacilitiesNet.com about what is new in the Internet of Things (IOT) for building automation.
