The amount of data available from multiple building systems continues to grow exponentially. What this data is and how to decide what to do with it is examined in a two-part episode of the IMEG podcast, The Future Built Smarter.

In part 2, Brendon Buckley, IMEG Protect Executive for Building Intelligence and Integration, discusses the use of a “digital twin” to model changes in operations using building system data before any actual changes are made.

“A digital twin in the simplest term is a virtual representation, using collected data, of the systems that are running in a building,” he says. Still largely just beginning to emerge on the scene, a digital twin can be used to determine not only how a building will react under different scenarios but also how the scenarios will affect occupants, staff, and processes. While useful for many different building types and markets, a digital twin can be particularly beneficial for mission critical buildings and those that must operate 24/7, such as manufacturing and healthcare facilities.

“Being able to model critical environments that have so many systems in play is really tremendous,” Brendon says. “Understanding the data and being able to leverage a digital twin in actual building utilization is really a big deal, and I think we’re going to see the use of this expand.”

Listen to the podcast.

Listen to part 1: Data is the key to getting more help from your building