Completed in January 2016, Lilacs International Commercial Center in Shanghai’s Pudong business district, stands out from the crowd. But it is not only the glass facades that gently curve outward and the inviting green spaces that warrant a closer look. Inside the state-of-the-art office and business complex, a total solution from Siemens controls all smart building systems.
As a result, it optimizes the energy efficiency of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified center and ensures the satisfaction of tenants and occupants alike.
The 150,000 m2 building complex comprises two towers, each with 32 floors of office space plus retail, leisure, cultural and exhibition areas. The office space occupies 58,000 m2 each; 45,000 m2 on six floors are reserved for high-end retail.The complex offers 540 parking spaces. Extensive green areas can be found bothinside and outside the building complex: A total of 500 m2 of outdoor space for work and leisure was created on various levels of the two office towers.
The developer and operator of Lilacs International Commercial Center, Shanghai Shanchuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., has been in a strategic partnership with Siemens since 2008 and was confident that the solutions from Siemens would comply with the economic targets and design philosophy of this prestigious project. For this reason, the decision was made to entrust the entire building technology scope to the German partner.
Smart system package with long-term added value
Lilacs International Commercial Center is the first smart building complex in Shanghai to install the entire Siemens building management system package. Smart building technology with its integrated disciplines such as building automation, lighting, fire safety and security as well as low- to medium-voltage power distribution is at the heart of this Total Building Solution from Siemens. Effectively networking nand coordinating the individual areas involved defining specific scenarios and then testing suitable solution packages. This was followed by internal certification of the new solution packages to verify the error-free operation and seamless interoperability of the components, thus ensuring the reliability and stability of the operating systems for a large variety of users. System operation, including monitoring and control, is managed from a command center.
The total solution consists of the Alpha distribution system, Beta low-voltage circuit protection as well as Sivacon system cubicles and switchboards. The air systems are controlled using Direct Digital Control (DDC) stations. Navigator is also part of the system. Featuring powerful analytics and reporting, this cloud-based platform offers comprehensive monitoring of the building infrastructure and is an important tool to maximize its energy and operational efficiency.
One of the special characteristics of smart energy automation at the Lilacs International Commercial Center is the way the SiPass time tracking and access control system is tied into the HVAC systems. SiPass combines employee time tracking with reliable building security. In addition, SiPass can adjust energy consumption in the Lilacs office towers in a matter of seconds: “When employees enter the building, for instance to get to their place of work, they activate the SiPass access control system from Siemens, which is installed throughout“, says Li Hang, assistant general manager and head of engineering at Shanghai Shanchuan Real Estate.
As soon as employees have authenticated themselves using their chip card, the intelligent system not only knows which floor they want to go to and calls the right elevator to automatically take them there – it also knows where energy will be consumed in the next few seconds. In their office, employees find a comfortable and yet energy-efficient room climate and thus an optimal working environment. Constant lighting control and biosensor lighting systems ensure optimal lighting in the office units. A smart heating system ensures an economic warm water supply, and multiple integrated sensors constantly measure the rooms’ carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and humidity.
The Lilacs International Commercial Center is certified according to the LEED model, an internationally recognized green building assessment program. LEED certification was significant because of the best practices and proven design framework it delivers. “LEED certification provides valuable indices which we will follow to operate our property within the planned efficiency range for as long as possible,” says Li Hang.
Additional energy-saving potential thanks to Big Data
As the head of engineering at Shanghai Shanchuan, Li Hang is keen to push the boundaries and move further into Big Data territory. His goal is to turn the new mbusiness complex into a smart building that is able to generate its own predictions regarding energy consumption and user requirements. “We are going to make what is called a ‘prescience system’ that can cut down on energy by an additional 12 to 18 percent by reducing the amount of energy that is repeatedly circulating in our systems.” He explains that this system does not yet exist but that Siemens has been invited to create it. “It involves building a space-state model of the entire building and then performing analysis and real-time calculations in the backend databases. We anticipate updating the programmable logic controller (PLC) or direct digital control (DDC) set values for the entire building every 15 minutes so that a prediction will be generated for the entire energy system.” He sees this as offering added value for the center’s tenants because they will benefit from lower energy costs.
He also describes how Siemens is helping with the automation of business processes. “With the communications systems from Siemens and the data we collect, such as marketplace traffic and the operational performance of every store, we can help our retailers analyze buyer behavior and optimize their sales strategies,” says Li Hang. To illustrate this novel approach, he explains: “How popular is a particular store in our retail complex among customers? The answer can be found in our data. Do customers hesitate to enter a store? This could be because of the store’s window displays or its prices. Based on the data we collect in our building, we can deliver this kind of feedback to our tenants.”