Using building analytics software to manage a building helps optimize operational efficiency, enhance sustainability, and improve overall performance. A building analytics platform collects real-time data from various sources within a building to discover insights that help inform data-driven decision-making and automate important processes.

ODIN’s cloud-based building automation platform collects robust records of building data from all BACnet objects in your system, and you can use API integrations to send that data out to preferred building analytics tools.

For building data analytics, there are three important considerations: 1) vital functions, 2) data security, and 3) privacy.

Vital Functions of Building Analytics Software

The vital functions of automated building analytics software used to manage a building include:

• Energy Management
• Occupant Monitoring
• Fault Detection/Diagnostics/Alerts
• Indoor Air Quality Monitoring
• Managing Costs
• Security/Access Control
• Trends Analysis

Energy Management

Energy monitoring tracks energy consumption in real-time. The analysis of current and historical data identifies patterns and trends. For optimization, the system recommends strategies that reduce energy usage, eliminate waste, and decrease operating costs, and the building data models use algorithms to predict future energy needs.

Occupant Monitoring

Monitoring occupancy patterns helps optimize space utilization. Behavior analysis of occupants creates insights on how to use space more effectively. The building analytics help predict future space needs based on historical data and trends.

Fault Detection/Diagnostics/Alerts

Real-time building data monitoring uncovers anomalies and system malfunctions, such as problems with HVAC, lighting, or security. Collected data predicts potential equipment problems, enabling proactive maintenance. Automated alerts send notifications to facility managers for urgent issues.

Indoor Air Quality Monitoring

The building analytics platform monitors and analyzes indoor air quality for temperature, humidity, and pollutants. The system provides recommendations about air quality improvement for a healthier indoor environment.

Managing Costs

The building data models help analyze operational expenses for maintenance, energy usage, and resource allocation. This analysis helps optimize budgets by identifying potential areas of cost reduction and improved efficiency. Building automation systems save time, labor, and money.

Security/Access Control

Surveillance analytics monitors the video feeds from security cameras to identify threats. Access control analytics tracks and analyzes access control data to identify unauthorized access. Remote accessibility allows facility managers to monitor and control building systems remotely.

Trends Analysis

One of the challenges is integrating diverse data sources. ODIN has a “Trends” feature that provides a strategy for seamless data integration in an easy-to-understand view of building analytics.

ODIN also has several built-in tools to trend any linked BACnet objects for monitoring and data archival. Using only a few clicks, you can set adjustable parameters to trend an associated BACnet object on an informative visual chart. The chart updates in real time and can be downloaded for future reference.

Data Security for Building Data

The key concerns for building analytics software are the potential vulnerability of building data to cyber-attacks and the need to ensure compliance with privacy regulations.

In October 2023, Bitsight reported identifying nearly 100,000 exposed industrial control systems globally, including critical infrastructure such as power grids, traffic signals, water systems, and security systems.

Complying with Privacy Regulations in Building Analytics

Using building analytics software to monitor buildings raises several privacy concerns because this involves collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data related to the building’s occupants, their behavior, and the overall usage of the building environment.

Here are some key privacy concerns associated with building data analytics:

• Occupant monitoring includes using sensors and surveillance equipment to monitor the activities of a building’s occupants.
• Behavioral analytics analyzes occupants’ behaviors, such as work habits, meeting attendance, and time spent on breaks.
• Personally identifiable information may be collected and stored along with biometric data.
• Audio and visual surveillance may record sensitive conversations or activities without consent.
• A data breach may expose personally identifiable information.
• Third-party data sharing may allow misuse of data.

To address these concerns, organizations must find the balance between using building analytics to improve operational efficiencies and respecting the privacy of a building’s occupants.

Conclusion

Working with ODIN helps manage your building systems using robust data security practices in compliance with privacy regulations. To learn more about how ODIN can help enhance your building analytics software applications, contact us now.