LOW BUILDING OCCUPANCY OPTIMIZATION

As society responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, offices went from noisy busy corridors to empty dark corridors in a matter of days. Buildings that once served guests and employees had less occupancy or were virtually empty. Unfortunately, since most building owners and developers have simply never experienced a situation like this before, there are many unresolved issues, even a year after the lockdown, including: ⠀

• How can the building be optimized for low occupancy - and for a longer period of time than originally envisaged? ⠀

• What are the most important systems and processes to consider when adapting to prolonged low load? ⠀

• When the world returns to normal, how can facility managers ensure that buildings return to normal operation? ⠀

• What can building owners consider when designing future buildings to better adapt to low occupancy situations? ⠀
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Foundation laying ⠀

In times like these, optimizing a building is critical, especially considering cost savings, reliability and comfort as employees eventually return. When improving construction operations, FMs must ensure that all relevant stakeholders are involved. ⠀

This could be anyone from a building management team to a service partner who needs to be able to check boxes for optimization both remotely and on site. In addition, FMs must carefully document all work throughout the process. This will prevent safety or performance issues in the coming months as capacity increases, such as shifting HVAC equipment, which could eventually prevent any building from returning to work. The documentation also sets a precedent for the next time a low occupancy situation occurs and allows developers to integrate better processes and technologies into newly designed and developing buildings. ⠀
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Coordination of building operation with its extended low occupancy

Accounting for control systems. Consider an HVAC system. Each component of the system is important because it controls environmental conditions and consumes energy. It is also important to determine which assets are connected to the building management system (BMS) and which are standalone. By taking into account management systems, FM will ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of making adjustments. Make sure that the staff currently in the building feel comfortable. It is important that the climate in the building is comfortable for those who are currently in the territory. Spaces likely won't be at full capacity and gyms and cafeterias likely to be closed, so lighting systems and schedules should also change along with climate control. Depending on local temperatures, FMs may adjust window blinds or curtains to minimize heating or cooling requirements for the HVAC system.

Take advantage of lower temperature requirements. While there are few people in the building, there is more flexibility in temperature ranges as the number of people has decreased. FMs can also reduce ventilation and rely on outside air for cooling.

Keep an eye on humidity. While there are few people in buildings, humidity and mold can become a problem if not properly maintained, especially if temperature setpoints are changed. It is recommended not to exceed 50% humidity. Humidity monitoring will also allow you to return faster and safer in the future.

Consider future health care procedures in commercial buildings. When the employees are fully back, things will not be the same as before. Residents will likely continue to wear face masks, but what else will be needed? Will contact tracing be enabled? How are FM services integrating this into building an IoT system?

Take advantage of low occupancy to upgrade. Perhaps this is the right time for delayed maintenance or finally to install a long-awaited update. Thus, when the building returns to normal operation, it can improve its efficiency and reduce costs.