S. No:
College of Arts and Applied Sciences
READING PRACTICE EXAM
Smart Building Technology
Building Automation Technology provides sensing and software solutions. Facility Management
Leaders are adopting a new system to better control and optimize a building’s heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning (HVAC) systems as well as other mechanical equipment, lighting, water, security, and
safety systems. These solutions are critical in improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “In 2015, about 40 percent of total
U.S. energy consumption was consumed in residential and commercial buildings.” And of those 40%,
commercial building HVAC systems were the largest consumers of energy.
In the years before sensors and software, facility managers had to control the temperature in buildings
manually — firing on and off the building’s air handlers, boilers, and chillers. Programming a
thermostat to automatically adjust to outside temperature with just the press of a few buttons was not an
option.
New IoT (Internet of Things) solutions include industrial sensors from companies like Helium that can
monitor temperature, humidity, light, and motion; building analytics platforms such as Build Pulse; and
software solutions to reduce energy consumption in heating and cooling systems from companies such
as Optimum Energy.
Software and Sensors: Developing Facility Management
So what will the smart building of the future look like? Since buildings hold a wealth of data, facility
managers should track and use the new innovations. Instead of having to manually adjust HVAC
systems, facility managers will have HVAC systems that employ real-time weather data provided by
smart sensors to automatically regulate temperature.
Smart sensors also monitor building occupancy, collecting important data over time that will inform,
track, and program HVAC systems. Operators will be able to use this data to make adjustments for
building-wide device energy consumption, including lighting, phones, computers and other devices.
Facility managers will also review occupancy data to adjust and control comfort settings in offices, labs,
conference rooms and other workspaces. In many current systems, facility managers must physically
check CO2 sensors to ensure they are operational. Burt says “If you have 500 sensors, checking each
one can take a long time.” “With the rise of IoT, more sensors are entering the market, creating more
data and noise for building managers. Third-party analytics tools allow you to filter out this sea of data
to focus your team and efforts.”
“We are at the beginning of an era where sensors, combined with analytical analysis, will truly change
the way buildings, hospitals, campuses and schools are managed and experienced by the people who use
them,” said Bob O’Donnell, president and chief analyst with TECHnalysis Research.
Adapted from: https://facilityexecutive.com/2017/01/staying-cool-with-intelligent-hvac-systems/
Task 1. Read the following statements and circle TRUE, FALSE
1. Building Automation Technology is useful to monitor and control
only the HVAV systems.
T
F
2. According to the U.S Energy Information Administration, the energy consumption will be more
than 40% in 2020. T F
3. According to the text, building’s air handlers, boilers and chillers were operated
manually before the arrival of sensors and software. T
F
4. The CO2 sensors are automatically checked in many existing systems.
T
F
5 .The noise level is high for the building managers because of the IoT and sensors. T F
Task 2. Read the text and circle the best answer a, b or c (1 x 5 = 5 marks)
1. Buildings with automation technology are monitored by…..
a) Software solutions
b) sensors
c) sensors and software
2. Nearly 40% of the total energy was used by ………………. in 2015 in the US.
a) large buildings
b) large residential buildings
c) houses and business oriented buildings
3. Which company’s solution helps in consuming less energy through thermostats?
a) Optimum Energy
b) Build Pulse
c) Helium
4. Workplaces such as offices, labs and conference halls are monitored by …..
a) HVAC systems
b) smart sensors
c) programs
5. The main idea of the text is …..
a) HVAC and the building systems
b) Intelligent HVAC systems through smart building technology
c) HVAC systems used in the United States
Task 3: The words shown below are highlighted in the text. Read the text and match the words with the
definition. Write a, b, c, d ore in the space given.
(1x5=5 marks)
Vocabulary
thermostat
Answer
Definition
monitor
a) an instrument to detect the level of toxic
gas
b) a device that regulates the room
temperature
c) view or check the building maintenance
by using sensors
d) extremely important for development
CO2sensor
e) control or maintain something
critical
regulate