Intelligent Service Delivers Performance Outcomes for High Rise Buildings

In the last post we discussesd how technology and access to data gives building operators the tools they need to improve operations by performing maintenance when it is needed, rather than simply following a predetermined maintenance interval.

This post will discuss how Trane Intelligent Services helps building operators to achieve performance outcomes.

Intelligent service models focus on delivering specific outcomes that are tied to the organization and building mission. These outcomes are defined by performance standards and are continuously measured and evaluated. Buildings are managed to perform within acceptable tolerances for such factors as energy consumption, system reliability and uptime, environmental performance and occupant comfort.

This approach enables building owners and operators to make information-based decisions, collect data over long periods of time, track variables to enable better performance and document progress toward high performance building status.

When reexamining their operations and maintenance strategy, many organizations start by conducting a critical systems audit (CSA) to assess how well building systems are operating and identify potential problems. An audit also provides insights into how and where the building is using – and perhaps wasting – energy, which can help staff identify, select and prioritize energy conservation measures. As a result, CSAs usually pay for themselves in energy savings.

The high performance building approach to maintenance helps organizations recognize the “real” costs of a building system failure, which justify the cost of a comprehensive maintenance program. Real costs go beyond the expense of replacing or repairing systems in a reactive mode to include the costs of the disruption caused by an unplanned system failure.

In an office high rise, for example, real costs could include lost revenue or salaries, if employees need to be sent home or spend hours in an unproductive mode. In a residential building, a system failure would inconvenience families and, depending on its severity, cause them to relocate temporarily or leave the building altogether.

An effective operating and maintenance strategy pays for itself
At a time when high rise facilities managers are doing more with less and making every dollar count, it is important to note that a well-defined and implemented maintenance strategy makes financial sense. HVAC and other building systems that are effectively operated and maintained perform better, use less energy, leave a smaller environmental footprint and have a longer operating life.