The convergence of building technology systems with artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud-based analytics is driving disruption in how facilities and enterprises operate. Building owners, managers and tenants have to rethink how they interact with buildings. Re-imagining how to better utilize buildings and improve occupant experiences means digitally transforming an environment to more effectively use the data that buildings generate to drive comfort, security and sustainability.

This presentation will discuss these concepts in the context of the smart building and present case studies on how artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and cloud technologies enable digital transformation in the building management industry. Specific focus will be on the “new normal”, post-pandemic environment, we currently live in and operational technologies within our buildings that can assist operators in providing safer and more efficient environments, while leveraging data to make smarter decisions. Discussion topics will include data platforms, applications, core building systems, and smart edge devices. All of which can assist real property professionals digitally transform building portfolios and realize the outcomes a smart building can deliver.

Marc Bertolin, Business Development Manager, Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls
Marc Bertolin has been in the building automation industry since 2002 and has held various roles including technical field support, business development and product management. His experience in supporting the products and technology for energy management and sustainability projects in Canada and the US has allowed for a unique perspective on the benefits, trends, and challenges of the smart connected building automation system.

The Internet of Things (IoT) provides endless possibilities to the future of sustainable cognitive buildings. The implementation of IoT and artificial intelligence (AI) is moving beyond controlling building automation systems to learning user behaviour to optimize the performance of the building and enhance the occupant experience. Digital services and applications are instrumental to enhancing user experiences and interactions and is key to sustainable management of buildings. These digital services, AI technology, and software applications are an integral part of the energy and sustainability initiatives being implemented as part of the C.D. Howe Innovation Hub Test Pilot.

They are the backbone of the AI smart waste stations which support occupants in their decision making for disposing of their waste, supporting higher levels of waste diversion. They are also a key piece for measuring and monitoring the processing of organic waste onsite which has been implemented to help reduce GHG emissions associated with the transportation and decomposition of building waste.

They are a critical element for the ease of use and management of the innovative electrical car charging stations which utilize off peak electricity (lower associated cost and GHG emissions) for charging cars during peak hours of the day. They have even found their application in supporting the solar window blind technology being implemented at C.D. Howe, with their primary function to measure solar building gains and estimate the amount of potential energy and GHG savings realized by window blind operation.

These initiatives and pilot projects that are part of the C.D. Howe Innovation Hub show the great opportunity and value than can be created through the integration of IoT devices, software technology, and digital engagement technology within our building systems and infrastructure.

IoT enables building managers to better process information and convert it into readable interactive systems. The future holds many viable solutions that will modernize and optimize buildings like never before.

The process of implementing IoT requires a cross collaboration between many stakeholders, so innovative ideas are created, implemented and adapted to changing needs.

Dejan Krupljanin, Asset Manager, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Dejan Krupljanin is Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Asset Manager for portfolio 43 within the National Capital Region. The portfolio of crown owned assets that he oversees includes the C.D. Howe building. With his strong focus on quality customer service and innovative solutions, he has been working with BGIS over the last year to implement the C.D. Howe Innovation Hub test pilot. His focus has been to provide innovative sustainable solutions to push forward top priority agendas and to improve the occupant’s experience and satisfaction. Dejan has acquired experience in delivering projects in various fields most notably in artificial intelligence, innovative solutions and real property over the past few years.

Shelley Leblanc, Portfolio Manager, BGIS

Shelley Leblanc has over 25 years’ experience within the real estate sector. As Portfolio Manager for the National Capital Region for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s real property contract, she is responsible for overseeing a large portfolio of crown owned assets. The C.D. Howe building is within her portfolio and she has led the BGIS team to ensure solutions support an enhanced occupant experience and the development of innovative solutions. Shelley’s leadership and collaborative approach to relationship management has been instrumental in bringing stakeholders together to make Canada more sustainable.

Daniel Gosselin, Senior Director, Professional Services, BGIS
For 20 years, Daniel Gosselin has specialized in the execution of capital projects. Over the last 15 years, he has focused his attention on delivering practical sustainability solutions, including facilitating LEED design and construction services. More specifically, he has led the BGIS team supporting Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to develop a carbon neutral roadmap to reduce GHG emissions by 50% in the PSPC buildings managed by BGIS. Currently Daniel is also leading BGIS’ IoT team in discovering and implementing technologies for more sustainable cognitive buildings.

Andrew Hicks, Sustainability Manager, BGIS
Andrew Hicks is responsible for developing and managing existing and new innovative programs and initiatives related to energy and sustainability within the National Capital Region. This allows BGIS to better support Public Services and Procurement Canada and the real property account in meeting sustainability targets, minimizing their environmental footprint, increasing efficiency and optimizing operations. Andrew has a Master of Applied Science (MASc) on Sustainable Energy from Carleton University with focus on Sustainable Energy Engineering and Policy.

Julie Matthews, Director of Tenant Communications, BGIS
Julie Matthews is a solutions leader with a strong record of accomplishment in developing and managing end-to-end solutions delivery. She has more than 25 years of experience delivering programs and projects within the real property environment. Julie is responsible for the development and implementation of the Tenant Relationship Management and Communications framework to support the Public Services and Procurement Canada real property contact. She is responsible for working closely with BGIS regional leads across Canada to develop and implement communications strategies.

As the home of Canada’s Parliament and the place where Canadians and global visitors gather for national celebrations and events, the Parliamentary Precinct is a symbol for the country and the world. The importance of the Parliamentary Precinct to Canada’s cultural and democratic heritage – as well as ongoing parliamentary operations – makes it critical that the assets are protected and made resilient to the effects of climate change. As steward for these historic properties, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is committed to adapting the Parliamentary Precinct to the impacts of climate change. The Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch has embarked on two initiatives in an effort to understand the risks of climate change to the Parliamentary Precinct’s heritage buildings and grounds and to develop measures to reduce these risks. This presentation will focus on the approach taken to (1) understanding the heritage portfolio’s vulnerabilities to climate change through a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment based on Engineers Canada’s PIEVC Protocol; and, (2) incorporating future climate projections into energy and hygrothermal simulations. The presentation will provide insights into the practical recommendations that have come out of these initiatives and will discuss the strengths and limitations of each approach.

Darshini Sobnath, Project Manager, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Darshini Sobnath is a Project Manager with Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch (SPIB). She currently manages the Parliamentary Precinct’s Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and reports on the portfolio’s greenhouse gas emissions using RETScreen and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. She has over seven years’ experience in the energy engineering field with the public and private sectors. She holds a B.Eng. in Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering from Carleton University, is a Certified Energy Manager, and a LEED Green Associate.

Sophia Wong, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Sophia Wong is a sustainability consultant with over 15 years’ experience advising public and private sector clients. She is currently working with Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch (SPIB) to integrate sustainability into the Parliamentary Precinct’s short-term operations and Long-Term Vision and Plan. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Guelph and is a Certified Energy Manager.

The effectiveness of data analytics and fault detection and diagnostics has been well documented in commercial and manufacturing environments. Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP) has undertaken a project with Public Services and Procurement Canada Smart Building Initiative Provider to extend these principles to monitoring the operations of five Central Heating and Cooling Plants (CHCP) serving over 80 federal buildings in the National Capital Region. The CHCP are part of the District Energy System, which will be retrofitted between 2020-2025. The goal of this project is to implement data analytics to track and improve operational efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions of each CHCP both before and after retrofit.

This presentation will use real examples to show outcomes of data analytics and energy and reliability performance indicators monitoring. The presentation will show the raw data collected, explain automated analytics techniques employed, and describe the importance of putting a process in place to act on data findings. This presentation will describe the teamwork framework and share some examples of positive collaboration between Engineers, Data Analysts, Plant Chief Operators and Automation Technicians to solve problems and improve plant operations from a reliability and energy efficiency perspective. As the Government of Canada strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their portfolio, developing new processes that incorporate data as inputs and technology as tools for teams of people working together is essential for success.

Laura Towsley, P.Eng, Manager, Smart Buildings, RYCOM Corporation
Laura Towsley is a building control systems strategist with an expertise in smart and connected buildings. Approaching every problem with the understanding that better information leads to better business decisions, Laura helps clients add value to their organizations by understanding the role technology and data can play in improving tenant experience, maximizing operational efficiencies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the built environment. Laura manages a team of Engineers who provide on-going data analytics and fault detection and diagnostic services to the real-estate industry.

Jayson Bursill, PhD, Project Manager, Energy Services Acquisition Program, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Jayson Bursill is a Project Manager for Public Services and Procurement Canada within the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP) project. At ESAP he is responsible for the integration of the Smart Plants platforms with the existing Public Services and Procurement Canada district energy heating and cooling equipment in the National Capital Region.

Jayson received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Carleton University in 2020 for developing and implementing model-based predictive HVAC controls. He has publications on building-related topics in several academic journals and conference proceedings. He also has experience as a software tester for building automation controls and as a commercial building sustainability consultant.

Using technology to make a better use of the information we possess on our public infrastructures is a solution that the leaders in infrastructure strive for. In asset management, one of the challenges in collecting, analyzing and maintaining information and the ability to use it in the most effective and sustainable way possible. For many leaders, the questions are: How do we structure our data to support our intervention strategy? How can we develop an information strategy to generate sustainable data, in line with the business strategy in my organisation? How can data collected on our infrastructure stop being a headache and rather support our decision making? We believe the solution to these questions is using the right method and tool to create new ways to optimize facility and asset management while respecting that every organization has its own reality and challenges.

In the presentation, Bernard Gaudreault will introduce the tools that are available to organizations to ensure structure, uniformity and integrity of data. A method developed in Quebec and applied to colleges (48 buildings), universities (19 buildings) and school board networks will be showcased. When dealing with the 72 school board in Quebec, each had information on its buildings available in a closed environment, preventing the use of an adequate strategy for the whole network. The solution was to develop a web platform that made possible the collection, storage, updating and use of quality information that was standardized and usable throughout the network, therefore enhancing the decision-making process greatly.

Bernard Gaudreault, CEO, Planifika inc.
Bernard Gaudreault has 19 years of experience in the field of asset management. Before co-founding Planifika in 2005, he completed several strategic positions for a firm specializing in municipal asset management. Bernard is a member of the Board and the Executive Committee of the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) of Canada to promote knowledge and best practices in asset management and where he services the interests of the Quebec province. He also service on the Council of the IAM headquarters in England where he was elected in Edinburgh in June 2016 as the first Canadian.