Smart Buildings Are the Core of Smart Cities

Q: What roles does Mexico play in Honeywell’s global strategy?

A: Honeywell has been in Mexico for more than 85 years. We have a large footprint in manufacturing and commercial activities. Mexico is the headquarters for the operations of our four business branches in Latin America. Honeywell Business Technologies (HBT) is one of these four business branches. Our division comprised four groups, three of which focus on channel sales, including product platforms divided by portfolios related to fire detection systems, security and building management systems. The fourth group is a turnkey project business arm in which we integrate all our solutions into construction projects.

Honeywell has identified high-growth regions and Mexico represents one of the biggest opportunity markets in Latin America. The country also has an important manufacturing footprint, significant commercial investment and a state-of-the-art Engineering Center in Tecnoparque, which boasts innovations for all the company's global business units. It also boasts an advanced HBT lab.

Q: What obstacles does Mexico need to overcome to move the development of smart cities forward?

A: All cities worldwide face several challenges in bringing smart cities forward and Mexico is no exception. There is always a debate surrounding short-, medium- and long-term planning to decide how to allocate finite resources. Implementing innovation will always allow for scarce resources to be applied for future results. Therefore, investment is the first barrier for smart cities to start their growth. We are trying to find ways to create returns on investment, making the concept more attractive and feasible from an economic viewpoint.

One of our biggest focuses at HBT is avoiding costs through optimization. If we optimize electricity expenditure, for example, those resources can be redirected to other areas.

Q: How do smart buildings shape trends within the wider concept of smart cities?

A: Smart buildings are the base layer for the creation of smart cities. Looking at the aggregate, the smart city concept represents ways to modify, improve and optimize different dynamics that happen within the city at a centralized point. The value smart cities bring is that when you aggregate many factors, you can optimize them. This does not mean everything works at 100 percent, but it allows authorities to identify and measure possible areas of improvement. Through the aggregation of multiple smart buildings, smart cities can start to take shape.

Within a building, several elements can be optimized through smart solutions. One of the key elements is occupancy, as tenants should feel safe, healthy and comfortable while easing into any activity in the building. Studies show that people spend between 80 and 90 percent of their time inside buildings. Therefore, our technologies are focused on providing those spaces with the appropriate environment in terms of safety, health and comfort.

From a different perspective, facilities managers are looking to optimize the energy functions of buildings, as 37 percent of the world’s energy is consumed by buildings. The potential of aggregated smart buildings is that this process can be easily optimized, making construction more sustainable. Then, at a city level, smart buildings become a component within other elements that are integrated into a bigger system, which optimizes dynamics like mobility, waste management and safety.

Q: What role does HBT play in the transformation of smart buildings?

A: HBT has open software for smart cities, so clients can add algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT devices from other suppliers besides HBT. Our software can gather the necessary data, process it, and create insights and recommendations for governments or building managers.

Through our technologies, it is possible to build smart buildings in terms of safety, productivity, intelligence in the use of resources and sustainability.

Q: How is HBT transforming the office building of the future?

A: HBT believes in the need to digitize buildings, especially offices, and has multiple products that facilitate this. There are over 10 million office buildings around the world that are testing solutions for safety, energy efficiency and sustainability, among others. The first step toward optimized operations is to use various devices to measure the performance and dynamics of current systems, which allows companies to understand how the building operates as a whole.      

In this sense, some of our solutions include software that connects the entire building and allows managers to know the performance of resources such as water and air conditioning, or if any anomaly arises to solve it preventively.

We also have integrated security systems that provide the earliest possible fire detection, enable the fastest response, centralize decision making and are easy to manage from any location.

Additionally, we have technologies for healthy buildings to confront scenarios such as the pandemic. For example, video analytics and artificial intelligence solutions to monitor compliance with social distancing and the use of masks, electronic air cleaners (EACs) and portable air purifiers that reduce the presence of bacteria in the environment, as well as touchless access solutions.

Therefore, constructing the building of the future requires having the correct methods to gather data and then controlling and balancing the desired outcome. Through these improved dynamics, the building of the future must provide maximum comfort for its occupants while adhering to the highest sustainability and safety standards. All this will simplify the automation of the building’s operation and maintenance, making it more efficient.

Q: How is the company contributing to the sustainability of such infrastructure?

A: Energy efficiency is a key part of sustainability. This can be achieved by either consuming less power or doing more with the same amount of power consumed. HBT first identifies where and how energy is used and proceeds with its optimization analysis. Energy needs vary throughout the day. By measuring these needs, companies can become more energy efficient.

HBT recently released carbon management software that helps building owners monitor carbon footprints. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution but rather about using resources smartly. Through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, Honeywell's solution automatically identifies and implements energy conservation measures to drive efficiency, resilience and accountability.

Better resource management does not stop at energy; it includes better water and waste management, too. HBT uses a similar data-focused approach in this area. If you can measure water pressure, temperature and humidity, these systems can be upgraded. The same applies to waste and other resources that impact the quality of life of the user. Air quality, for example, has become increasingly important as a result of the pandemic.

Q: How has the healthy building concept revolutionized smart buildings?

A: Due to the pandemic, healthy buildings have been on the rise. These buildings look to ensure a safe and healthy environment, employing solutions that help maintain the well-being of inhabitants. One of our success stories in Mexico in this regard is our collaboration with Farmacias del Ahorro. With the start of the pandemic, pharmacies became crucial for healthcare. We installed more than 1,600 HEPA filters in Farmacias del Ahorro’s stores, which received more than 1 million patients a month during the pandemic.

Q: What role is cybersecurity playing in developing and implementing successful smart buildings?

A: Digitization is essential for smart cities but with this process, there needs to be stronger awareness of the vulnerabilities that may arise if we do not protect our systems and information properly. There are multiple solutions available to protect data. It is important to recognize that users also want to have all their information accessible and that mobile phones are becoming key tools for integrating our data. Users want to easily access their information remotely. Therefore, as digitization increases, guaranteeing data is safe and properly handled is crucial. HBT prioritizes cybersecurity standards in its solutions. We also partner with industry leaders to assure the highest security standards for data protection.

Honeywell International is a US-based, publicly traded multinational      company that operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building technologies (HBT), performance materials and technologies (PMT) as well as safety and productivity solutions (SPS).