‘The Changing Face of Smart Buildings’

Is the world getting smarter? Are our technologies and those who fund them?

Here’s what we do know: Investment in so-called “smart buildings” is expected to more than triple from $5.5 billion in 2012 to $18 billion by 2017

This, according to a new report from Jones Lang LaSalle, is because buildings controlled by automated monitoring systems are becoming the norm rather than the exception for building owners, managers and investors eager to save on energy and operating costs.

The report, “The Changing Face of Smart Buildings: The Op-Ex Advantage,” analyzes how today’s building technology investment decisions are delivering return on investment while shaping the way humans, machines and buildings will interact in the decades to come.

“Smart building technology investment is like giving a doctor an MRI machine,” said Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability services at Jones Lang LaSalle. “It allows deeper diagnostics that can provide significant results for building owners in meeting their financial, operational and environmental goals.”

The cost of automated building technology has fallen as adaptation has increased. For example, intelligent lighting components that cost $120 four years ago sell or $50 today. New local and federal government regulations, including mandatory energy consumption disclosure in some cities, are pushing building managers in the direction of smart buildings.

[source: http://www.sustainableindustries.com/resources/changing-face-smart-buildings]