by Jim Sinopoli

Smart buildings will change over time based on the evolution of technology and the increased interest in the smart building approach by designers, contractors and manufacturers. This may mean new building control systems (i.e. indoor positioning systems), but it is more likely be advances in the "foundational systems" such as security, electrical distribution or HVAC. We continue to define and provide key details to describe the attributes of a smart building by addressing electrical, metering, and video surveillance systems.

Given water is our most precious resource; something we can't survive without, electricity is also integral and critical to our lives and functioning of our communities. Without stable, high quality electricity our world would be radically and negatively impacted. We rely on safe and reliable electricity from our utilities and within our buildings.

A smart building has an electrical infrastructure that is dependable, adaptable and cost-effective to maintain and operate. In addition to the electrical infrastructure building owners also must have a relationship with their supplier for two-way communication with the utility grid, demand response notifications and optimal rate structures. Furthermore, building owners may address the use of renewable sources or a microgrid for a building or development that can that locally generate electricity, possibly integrate  the  utilization of DC current in buildings given that much of the equipment in a building runs on DC. The smart building aspects of electrical distribution involve:

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