Building Check-Ups and Diagnostics: Ensuring Your Infrastructure Stays Fit and Healthy
Throughout my three decades of championing building technologies and services, I’ve seen structures built from the ground up, 100-year-old buildings modernized, and everything in between. Within those phases, I’ve witnessed the importance of maintaining resiliency throughout the lifecycle of a building—and the consequences to occupants and the environment when systems are left unchecked. From day one, maintaining resiliency is a continuous process that requires a holistic approach. It demands foresight, innovation and a commitment to excellence in every aspect of building management.
Just as we need regular health check-ups to stay in peak condition, buildings also require proactive maintenance to perform their best over the long haul. Buildings and their equipment have lifecycles and undergo changes as usage, occupants, and asset conditions evolve. That's why facility managers need to take steps at every stage to ensure equipment operates efficiently and sustainably. It's not enough to simply fix equipment when it breaks. Proactive building service that leverages today’s digital tools is a crucial part of effective long-term management that pays dividends.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, implementing an integrated service delivery model can reduce equipment breakdowns by more than 70%, reduce maintenance costs by more than 25%, and reduce downtime by more than 35%.
The Role of Proactive Service in Resiliency
Consider the critical systems in our buildings—heat pumps, heat pumps, chillers, fire safety equipment, security devices, and building automation technologies. These systems are more than just fixtures; they directly impact how efficiently buildings operate. Since these systems can “live” for up to 25 years or more, having a plan for the maintenance of this equipment is imperative to promote efficient, sustainable, and healthy buildings.
Many businesses can’t afford for systems to be out of commission unexpectedly or for long periods of time, in terms of both revenue and critical functions and processes. Consider, for instance, a hospital where temperature control isn't just a convenience, but a vital factor in storing life-saving medications. Or a school district that relies on its weapons detection systems to monitor for threats to students, teachers, or visitors. In these use cases and so many others, having a proactive service contract in place ensures these critical systems stay consistently reliable so necessary operations aren’t disrupted, and people and properties stay safe.
Revolutionizing Building Service
Luckily for today’s facility leaders, and those of us in the building industry, the service landscape is evolving for the better. There’s a movement away from the traditional “break-fix” mentality toward more proactive issue detection, maintenance, and equipment enhancements. Instead of reacting after things break or scheduling maintenance for a set date in the future, many are now taking a more predictive approach powered by insights from connected technologies and data. By taking the guesswork out of service, irregularities or eroding systems can be identified and resolved before they impact operations.
Building managers may be thinking, “That all sounds great, but how do I get started?” Or they may be wondering if such a proactive approach to maintenance is possible if their teams or budgets are already stretched. This is where an integrated service delivery model can be extremely valuable to help facility managers save time and money and boost their peace of mind.
The Digital Advantage
Embracing digital tools in building management—much like how I use wearable technology to track my steps, sleep, and heart rate—provides a significant advantage in achieving peak performance and efficiency. Take connected chillers, for example. Chillers play a crucial role in facilities, as they greatly impact building occupants’ comfort and productivity. They can also account for up to 40% of a building's electricity consumption. By establishing connectivity with the chiller, real-time monitoring technology and chiller health indicators will trigger expert reviewers who can analyze the diagnostics and provide recommendations that prevent unexpected disruptions and help ensure optimal operation.
Furthermore, the integration of AI-powered diagnostics enhances technician efficiency. By analyzing historical data collected from nearly 200 potential points on the chiller, and with AI applied across tens of thousands of connected chiller real-time data, the system can suggest solutions and identify opportunities for optimization. During maintenance or servicing, technicians are equipped to diagnose issues more efficiently, leading to reduced downtime, costs, and inconvenience. Additionally, the data helps in detecting and addressing minor issues before they escalate into major problems or result in a complete system failure.
Connected data is also used by OEMs, like Johnson Controls, to better understand our own equipment performance over time in a way that was not available prior to connected AI models. These insights are used to drive improved engineering design, reduce cost of quality, and ultimately lead to better designed and optimized equipment and systems for the future.
The Human Element
In a world increasingly driven by technology, the human element remains a crucial part of this equation. Having expert technicians with diagnostics and data insights at their fingertips reduces time-consuming troubleshooting, gives local teams and building managers more time to handle other responsibilities, and fosters a sense of trust and collaboration.
One particular example that stands out is a large university that has been working with Johnson Controls for 30 years to enhance its facilities management. With over 35 campus buildings and challenges such as staffing shortages, budget constraints, and the need to maintain a healthy environment for 13,000 students, faculty, and staff, they turned to us for support.
Through a connected controls system, the university now benefits from a team of skilled technicians who remotely analyze cloud-based diagnostics from their building automation system. The data collected helps the university to guide on-site maintenance, ensuring reliable and sustainable system performance. The combination of digital monitoring and local technician support has resulted in a 55% reduction in manual system overrides and a more than 15% decrease in building automation system discrepancies. Additionally, the university expects annual energy savings of up to 12%.
This example truly showcases the power of finding the perfect balance between digital technology and human expertise. By revolutionizing proactive services, building owners and operators can gain even greater value in their infrastructure investments.
Investing Today Means Reliability Tomorrow
Well-maintained buildings equal more resilient buildings. Whether it's constructing brand new structures or updating older ones, the consequences of neglecting proper maintenance can truly be life or death. That's why it's crucial to take a proactive and holistic approach from day one. By staying ahead of the curve and embracing innovative tools, facility managers can ensure that buildings operate at their best for years to come. So, let's invest in resiliency today to enjoy reliable and sustainable buildings tomorrow.
