FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Two Smart Building Maturity Model reports, one for vendors and one for end users engaged in or exploring this market, are now available from IDC Energy Insights. According to the firm, the global smart buildings technology market is expected to experience a 27 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2010-2015, as energy efficiency becomes an increasingly valuable operational asset to the facilities management industry. Its maturity model is said to provide a framework for understanding smart building solutions and serves as a tool for communicating the benefits of investing in sophisticated energy management technologies.

IDC Energy Insights defines the smart buildings market in six technology verticals:

• HVAC

• Fire and security

• Lighting

• Plug loads

• Distributed energy resources

• Analytics and data management

The maturity model is based on a five-point scale of maturity for each technology segment in terms of functionality. The cornerstone of the maturity model is the idea that a truly optimized smart building will have fully integrated control and automation systems providing maximum visibility into facility operations for real-time adaptation to external signals and internally generated policies.

IDC Energy Insights said the first report, Business Strategy: Smart Buildings Maturity Model for End Users, serves as a tool for building management decision makers as they evaluate their facilities and define investment priorities that will advance their properties toward becoming smart buildings. As the industry transforms due to increasingly impactful and unpredictable energy costs, a growing group of decision makers are evaluating building operations in order to control costs, hedge financial risks, and achieve strategic business goals related to the relationship between energy consumption and facility operations. This report provides a common language for all participants in the discussion.

The firm said the second report, Business Strategy: Smart Buildings Maturity Model for Vendors, defines the energy management solutions for commercial and industrial buildings and presents a framework that enables technology vendors to evaluate the sophistication of their particular solutions and the market’s overall competitive landscape. The commercial and industrial building management industry is undergoing a transition due to ever-increasing, yet difficult to predict energy costs. Coupled with broader economic pressures, building management decision makers are looking for solutions to drive down costs and improve efficiencies. This report provides vendors with a tool to evaluate their solutions, understand how to communicate the benefits of more intelligent solutions, and identify potential partners to engage early movers and establish market leadership.

For additional information, contact info@idc-ei.com.

Publication date: 04/09/2012