Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1476549
October/November/December 2022 I 35 THE EVOLUTION OF DIGITAL BUILDINGS A smart (intelligent) building refers to any structure using integrated processes, smart engineering, or design to self-regulate its environment and operations. A few decades ago, smart buildings had building management systems (BMS) comprising of disconnected subsystems or silos that were automated at the level of individual functioning. Today, building owners have access to large amounts of information that they can use to make intelligent decisions that enhance building performance. FIGURE 1: PoE standardization roadmap. Ethernet cabling. Moreover, PoE enables one single cable to provide both electrical power and data connection to many different devices along balanced twisted-pair Ethernet cables. It makes it possible to supply power to devices, such as wireless access points (WAPs), IP cameras, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, LED lighting, emer- gency lighting, Internet of Things (IoT) gateways, and well-being sensors. The PoE is the backbone technology to enable digital building solutions to come to life. An intelligent infrastructure facilitates data collection and analysis, enabling digital services and applications to turn data into actionable insights. The PoE standard was first established by the IEEE in 2003 (IEEE 802.3af), followed by the IEEE 802.3at standard in 2009, and the IEEE 802.3bt standard in the third quarter of 2018. The latest standard, called Four-Pair-PoE, has evolved the technology's capabilities to the point where BICSI designers, installers, and consul- tants are now able to find entirely new use cases adapted to the growing needs of various equipment. The higher power levels make several new applications possible. Initially designed for a maximum of 15 Watts (W), PoE can now deliver up to 90 W. See Figure 1 for the PoE standardization roadmap. 2003 Property Power Available at PD (powered device) Maximum power delivered by PSE (Power Sourcing Equipment) 802.3af Type 1 PoE 802.3bt Type 3 UPoE 802.3bt Type 4 UPoE+ VOIP Phones UPoE Powered Compact Switches USB-C Devices or Passthrough UPoE 802.1AC Access Points 12,95W 51W 71W 15,40W 60W 90W 802.3at Type 2 PoE+ 25,50W 30W 15W PoE 60W UPoE 90W UPoE+ 30W PoE+ 2009 2011 2018 Underpinning important subjects, such as sustain- ability, health, and security, a higher investment has been observed in technology and platforms to deliver the seamless management of high data centric outcomes. It is advised to consult ANSI/BICSI-007-2020, Infor- mation Communication Technology Design and Implemen- tation Practices for Intelligent Buildings and Premises. This comprehensive standard covers much of what is discussed in this article and compiles IEEE and other global standards. POWER OVER ETHERNET Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology for delivering direct current (DC) power to devices over copper