So is it the right time to promote this concept to the design team? Will they be receptive to making the added investment to make this an intelligent building? The answer to the first question is yes — and the answer to the second question is that you will need the proper tools to justify the investment. Here is how to analyze and calculate the financial benefits of an intelligent building.
Calculating the returns is fairly straightforward. Buildings that are owned by a developer and leased out to tenants become a little bit more complicated. In the leased building model, the building owner typically accrues the benefits of reduced staff expenses. Energy costs are often passed on as part of the lease to the tenants. Therefore any energy savings is seen by the tenant and not the building owner.