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Cisco networking infrastructure solutions can also improve energy efficiency by facilitating the design, monitoring, and control of multiple-building management systems. Traditionally, buildings required several separate systems to handle electrical, environmental (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), security, communications, and other functions. The Cisco Connected Real Estate program integrates the control and management of these systems with Cisco's network infrastructure. This enables 24-hour onsite or off-site control of all building systems over a single IP network. The technology is even able to integrate devices such as printers and copiers into the energy-management system, and it can spot unauthorized personal equipment plugged into office electrical outlets. A study commissioned by the Converged Buildings Technology Group, a consortium of building system manufacturers, found that this converged network approach generated capital savings of 24 percent during the building construction phase, and reduced operating expenses by 30 percent over the life of a building. Our own studies also show a dramatic reduction in electrical demand—by more than 40 percent. |
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