Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1347119
April/May/June 2021 I 51 While many are looking to deploy intelligent building technologies, embarking on a fully integrated intelligent building where all buildings systems converge and communicate over an IP-based platform with all end-point devices powered via power over Ethernet (PoE), is a significant and challenging undertaking. It is one that can only successfully come to fruition through collab- oration with an expert partner ecosystem—from planning and design to implementation and delivery—and a robust digital building architecture as the foundation. That is exactly how one California-based leading urban developer serving the life science industry approached its new cutting-edge 88,000 square-foot headquarters. STARTING EARLY, STARTING RIGHT When developing a fully-integrated intelligent building, the process must start during the very early planning phase with all stakeholders embracing the concept and recognizing the importance of the network infra- structure. This often requires educating stakeholders and demonstrating how converged and integrated systems can benefit building owners, operators, and occupants. FIGURE 1: Project overview using PoE technology over an IP-based network. KEY PROJECT STATISTICS 55,000 Watts of PoE lighting load 8,000+ Total connected IP devices 2,500+ PoE connected lighting fixtures 950+ Reels of category 6A cable, exceeding 175 miles 100 Different lighting systems and configurations 60 PoE switches to support PoE devices and lighting 20 Different custom light fixture manufacturers 2 150kW Active Power UPS units 1 500kW indoor backup generator "When we met with Cisco and the developer of the Toronto facility to gain insight on how they approached the design of their intelligent building, I think that was really the turning point," says Barbera. "That's when it became clear that we needed to really think outside of the box, and the decision was made to integrate and power all lights and building system devices over an IP-based network using PoE technology." See Figure 1. LEVERAGING AN EXPERT PARTNER ECOSYSTEM Achieving the lofty goal of "PoE of Everything" was challenging. It required collaboration among all tech- nology partners to ensure the right scopes of work, detailed layouts, and bills of material that would meet project deliverables and maximize integration and efficiency for return on investment. "One of the biggest challenges was identifying manufacturers of all the building systems who could deliver on the latest IP-based and PoE-enabled tech- nologies. There was only one access control manufacturer who could even provide the PoE-enabled door system required, and we had to work closely with many of the manufacturers to make modifications to their products," says Barbera. "This was especially true when it came to lighting." "With their lease set to expire in November 2019 and no means to expand, the client decided to purchase property and develop a state-of-the-art facility from the ground up as a showcase for their clients," says Mike Barbera who was charged with managing the design and construction for the new build. "We worked with our consultants, design, and network infrastructure partner very early in the planning stage to discuss strategies, identify specific partners and educate the key stakeholders on how to enable building control and management through a single pane of glass." To help achieve buy-in at the decision-making level and ensure the right approach, Barbera, along with Bob Mobach, telecommunications designer and consultant for the project, visited the RBC WaterPark Place in Toronto, home to Cisco's Canadian headquarters. This 1.2 million square-foot facility is considered one of the first truly intelligent buildings in North America where all IP-based systems are integrated, including networked LED lights outfitted with advanced sensor technology and powered via PoE.