Dive Brief:

• The technology to collect building infrastructure data and adjust systems on the fly is readily available, but some owners do not understand that costs are coming down and payback is speeding up.
• For owners of large or multiple buildings, putting systems in place allows for small adjustments that can add up to large savings in utility costs and maintenance.
• In smaller buildings, wireless systems have come down in cost enough to shorten their payback periods, too.

Dive Insight:

The advice comes from Dan Probst, who is chairman of Energy and Sustainability Services at Jones Lang LaSalle and has the credibility of a firm that knows something about building management. He's not speaking only of new construction, instead citing two recent studies that showed that retrofitting older buildings with technology to foresee maintenance needs and manage their expenses can be one way for a contractor to deliver value that makes the building competitive longer.