In the age of digital transformation, smart buildings have emerged as key enablers of energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and operational cost savings. With the widespread use of smart equipment, sensors, and IoT connected devices, buildings are beginning to “talk” – generating volumes of data from operational technology (OT). OT data holds vast potential for optimizing building performance and enabling fully autonomous intelligent operations.
Yet for various technical reasons many smart building systems are unable to “listen” to OT data, remaining mired in data silos and static inefficient operations. In this article we explore all about operational data, why it remains a largely unmined resource, and how companies like GrydSense are helping real estate stakeholders unlock the full value of their OT data.
What is OT Data?
Operational Technology refers to the hardware and software systems that monitor and control physical devices and processes in buildings. OT data, therefore, is the information generated by systems such as: HVAC, lighting control, vertical transport systems, occupancy tracking, environment / safety monitoring, energy meters, access control, etc.
Operational data conveys the pulse of the building, capturing real-time conditions and control states of systems. Typical variables include temperature readings, motor speeds, switch states, valve positions, energy consumption levels, equipment run time, etc. logged throughout the uptime of building systems and devices.
Are You Missing Out on OT Data?
Despite advances in building automation, many Building Management Systems (BMS) only partially leverage OT data, due to several common challenges:
- Siloed Systems: Smart solutions are often developed in compartmentalized form by different vendors with proprietary protocols. This can produce e.g. a proptech solution that concentrates on smart lighting alone, and does not interact with the HVAC system in the same building. These silos make it difficult to access and integrate data across platforms.
- Lack of Interoperability: Legacy systems may use outdated or OT-specific communication protocols (like BACnet, Modbus) that are not compatible with modern IT infrastructures.
- Localized Geography: Many BMS are incapable of multi-site / multi-building operations and are restricted by geography. This leaves the system blind to the larger OT dataset from the rest of the real estate portfolio.
- Security Concerns: OT networks are sensitive and mission-critical. Many facility managers are hesitant to expose these networks to external data integrations without robust cybersecurity measures.
As a result, buildings end up with complicated and inefficient smart infrastructure, capable of limited automation but reliant on manual reporting and static responses for building-wide operations.
Harness OT Data with Integration
OT data already exists and is generated throughout the life-cycle of the building. A successful smart building strategy would ensure that this data is: liberated from silos, accessible in real-time, regularized in a usable format, stored for long-term analysis & pattern recognition, and secured from cyber threats.
- Comprehensive Solutions combine multiple sensors and diverse data collection in a single package. For example, Omnos combines occupancy tracking, smart lighting, and indoor environment monitoring in one solution. Such approaches do away with technological incompatibility and greatly increase the volume of usable building data available for analysis and control.
- Integrated Platforms interact with all the smart systems in the building, collating data for holistic analysis and subsequent intelligent actions. The GrydSense integrated platform is technology agnostic with wide compatibility, able to communicate with most common devices for both data collection and response actuation.
- Cloud Storage & Analytics ensures an almost limitless repository of historical and real-time data for analysis. BMS with cloud connectivity can receive data in real-time, store large volumes (which ensures insightful analysis), and extend their control across geographies. Cloud platforms can also house Artificial Intelligence which uses long-term data to extract powerful insights, and uses real-time data to self-manage buildings.
- Cybersecurity in smart buildings ensures OT and its data can safely interact with IT systems, facilitating the integration, analysis, and automation that makes a building intelligent. GrydSense secures OT data with end-to-end encryption, network segmentation, and an integrated zero-trust policy.
Benefits of Using OT Data
Fully leveraging OT data unlocks a broad range of advantages for smart building stakeholders:
- Improved Energy Efficiency: Real-time monitoring of HVAC and lighting systems allows for dynamic control strategies and optimized setpoints based on occupancy and weather. GrydSense clients report energy savings of 10% (HVAC) and 40% (Lighting) through efficient utilization of OT data.
- Predictive Maintenance: Historical patterns in OT data can be used to detect early signs of equipment degradation. This improves uptime (by 40% with GrydSense) and extends asset life.
- Enhanced Comfort and Indoor Air Quality: Continuous feedback from sensors enables more precise control of temperature, humidity, and air changes per hour—directly impacting occupant health and satisfaction. Considering every unit increase in PM2.5 concentration causes an annual loss of 27 man-hours per employee, this has a very tangible impact on business productivity.
- Compliance and Reporting: OT data provides a robust foundation for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting, energy certifications (e.g., LEED), and regulatory compliance.
- Lower Costs and Faster Returns: In addition to energy savings, seamless integration of operational data improves overall building efficiency. With GrydSense this is reflected in 30% better space utilization efficiency and improvements in facility management (20%) & smart cafe (15%). All taken together, businesses deploying GrydSense start enjoying returns on their investment within 24 months.
Conclusion
OT data is the heartbeat of a smart building. By breaking down data silos, deploying integration strategies, and building secure, scalable platforms, facility operators and owners can unlock the true value of their assets. Integrated and technology agnostic approaches from companies like GrydSense have tapped into the OT goldmine to dramatically improve smart building performance.
Comprehensive OT data also enables autonomous buildings. Custom AI models and LLMs are being leveraged to create fully aware buildings with autonomous function. This is the future of smart real estate – buildings that can “listen” to their own data and manage themselves intelligently for greater energy efficiency, better air quality, efficient usage of real estate, enhanced productivity, and effective asset management.
