Over the last 25 years the building automation and controls industries has had very little impact on the traditional IT infrastructure; after all this industry developed its own networks and at one time was the largest networking industry in the world. Such companies as Honeywell, Johnson Controls, and Siemens developed their own proprietary networks and installed and maintained them totally separate from IT. These networks were developed for real time “Facility Nodes” which became part of the “Facility Network Enterprise” and not the IT enterprise.
This is about to change exponentially for the CIO and the IT departments over the coming years. With Cisco’s acquisition of Richard-Zeta (building automation router/gateway provider), Accenture’s and Deloitte’s plunge into commissioning and the most recent purchase by IBM of TRIRIGA, Inc., IT will be dragged into the management of the “Facility Network Enterprise” and their associated “Facility Nodes”

THE TRADITIONAL BUSINESS MODEL FOR BUILDING FACILITIES DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CIO

The Traditional Business Model for constructing buildings (specifically smart/Intelligent buildings) will have to change significantly. There are far too many internal and external forces exerting overbearing pressure on both new and existing facilities and a significant amount of it has to do with information. These pressures include the advent of the green and sustainability movement, the intervention of governments in the reduction of energy, greenhouse gases and climate change, IT infrastructure with the convergence of the smart grid and smart buildings, the proliferation of “facility nodes” and the standardization of IT disciplines and security for these “facility nodes”, and finally the introduction of truly open standards, including standardized tool sets, and continued cost reductions.
 
In addition to all of the above the advent of wireless technology at the “Facility Node” level may inundate both facilities and traditional IT Infrastructures. These wireless systems include such technology as RFID, Enocean, and Zigbee to name just a few.
 
Finally with the convergence of physical security with cyber security the world becomes even more complex in the management of the “facility network enterprise”
 
THE CONTINUATION OF THE MAINFRAME MENTALITY IN FACILITIES

As part of my continued discussions I will try and demystify the building automation facility IT network, which is proprietary but often veiled as an open enterprise. These proprietary offerings continue to keep the total life cycle cost of ownership extremely high. The old IBM mainframe mentality that has dominated facility networks and technology should quickly evaporate just as it did with the onset of the personal computer. No longer will single source proprietary systems offered by manufacturers as open solutions be in command of smart/intelligent buildings exclusively. The old business model of giving away the razor to sell the razor blades is alive and flourishing in the facility enterprise yet a more open model will be demanded as new players enter the marketplace such as EnerNOC for ADR (Automated Demand Response) Cisco for Router/Gateway interfaces into the “facility network enterprise” or the applications of real time supply pricing like those being supplied by a select group of utilities and power providers.
 
THE TADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS MODEL IS BROKEN FOR TECHNOLOGY

The traditional process of delivering technology to the smart/intelligent facility involves an owner who hires an architect and/or engineer to design a project to be built by the construction manager or general contractor via subcontractors. Where is IT? This process cannot possibly address all the technology that is being put into buildings today. In fact it could be argued that the whole real estate enterprise could become a “mission critical environment”, and that begs again to ask the question of where is IT outside of mission critical construction. Technology in the entire real estate domain is rapidly changing, yet our delivery systems for building facilities continues to stay the same.
 
One of the best features of the USGBCs’ (United States Green Building Commission) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) process is the collaboration between different disciplines within the built community. Unfortunately, IT and CIOs have not participated in this standard and there is no impetus within the USGBC to correct this glaring flaw. It can be said that this flaw plays perfectly into the hands of the dominate players that want to dominate the “facility network enterprise”.

FACILITIES MUST REPORT TO THE CIO

Part of this revolution will be a new business model incorporating IT for those delivery systems. Within the next five years nearly every piece of electrical equipment will be addressable as a “facility node”. This “facility network enterprise” will dwarf the traditional IT network. It is anticipated that for every 2 IT nodes (voice, data) there will be 12 to 15 “facility nodes” by 2015. What does that do to an IT infrastructure? Who is responsible for the “facility nodes” and “facility network enterprise” including security, topology, tools, and protocols? In looking at the total business enterprise, does facilities even have the capability to address these issues, or does the responsibility really need to fall under the CIO?
 
In the development of smart buildings, smart grid, and the green movement, I am very excited about this revolution within the IT community. CIO, the magazine, or even Gartner has addressed for years information within mission critical facilities but has said little about other types of facilities. In 2010 Gartner finally addressed the issue, outside of just data centers, of IT for Green. It was listed as number 5 on their list of the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2010.
 
The existing delivery processes and systems need to change within the construction community. The roles of the architect/engineer's and the CIO’s needs to be intertwined within these processes and systems. The argument can be made that a truly new participant to the process needs to be added to the CIO’s team, the IT Facility Integrating Program Manager (ITFIPM).

It really does not matter if this position is internal or external to a company; what does matter is that CIOs quickly come to grip with the need for this new position and/or service that has the capacity to bridge the two worlds as they become one.

Mark Bevill, LEED AP BD+C, Principal at FIX Consulting, LLC and CEO of the Totus Group, LLC with over 30 years experience in building automation and controls (bevillm@fixconsulting.com)  
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As Americans are becoming more environmentally conscious, more religious groups are looking to make their worship spaces sustainable. The efforts range from small country congregations using energy-efficient bulbs to megachurches complying with complex green-building codes.

By going green, most worship buildings can cut their energy costs by 30 percent, said Jerry Lawson, of the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Congregations program. About 2,000 of the nearly 310,000 houses of worship in the U.S. participate in the EPA program.

 
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"Where It's Greener: As sustainability becomes more important, these cities are setting the standard"
Author:    Tiffany Meyers
Source:    US News & World Report
Date Written:    1/27/2009

Cities across the U.S. have at last realized the need to take action against global warming. Implementing some of the most innovative, far-ranging environmental programs and plans for residents and, in particular, business owners, the 10 cities featured here have earned themselves a rightful place on Entrepreneur's sustainability map.

Chicago
Population: 2,836,658
LEED -Certified Buildings: 48 (More Than Any Other North American City)
New Take On Futures Trading: The Chicago Climate Exchange Is North America's Only Voluntary, Legally Binding Cap And Trade Program To Reduce Co2--The Future, Indeed.
The Green Exchange: At its launch this year, this renovated factory aims to be the epicenter of green commerce, housing more than 100 green businesses (greenexchange.com). 
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