IBM today announced its smarter buildings deal with Carnegie Mellon University.
The target of the university is to save nearly 10 percent on utilities, nearly $2 million annually after deploying the IBM system across 36 buildings on its Pittsburgh campus.
“IBM advanced building analytics and facilities systems integration offer us important gains in initiatives related to advanced infrastructure systems research, the Pittsburgh 2030 initiative and a more proactive building and infrastructure management model,” said Donald Coffelt, associate vice president for Carnegie Mellon University’s Facilities Management Services.
Carnegie Mellon University will be using the new IBM Building Management Center delivered on the IBM SoftLayer cloud to monitor thousands of data points from building automation and control systems. The Building Management Center will also detect system problems such as simultaneous heating and cooling not identified by other means, and proactively trigger corrective actions.
The university will pilot the new technology in nine buildings and extend to 36 buildings across the campus. The initial application of the Building Management Center will focus on HVAC systems and later will extend to lighting, water and other utilities. The implementation of the system will be completed in about three years.
The Smarter Buildings Initiative supports CMU’s technology-enhanced education and research focus, as well as its commitment to sustainability. The initiative will connect with research already underway at the university’s Smart Infrastructure Institute and the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics.
In addition, faculty and students affiliated with CMU’s multidisciplinary Metro21 initiative, which seeks to design and develop solutions affecting the economy and quality of life in metropolitan areas, are planning to use data generated from the Building Management Center in their research.
IBM has invested $24 billion to build its capabilities in Big Data and Analytics through R&D and more than 30 acquisitions.
“This is the newest in a series of cloud-based Smarter Cities management centers including transportation, water and emergency management designed to help organizations quickly begin using their own data for new insight and improved decision making,” said Michael Dixon, general manager, IBM Smarter Cities.
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