Open Data Makes Sustainable Structures More Achievable

"Boosted building performance comes down to a more profitable outcome for building owners, and providing insights into the impacts of design decisions or equipment and fixture choices can be a big differentiator to them. However, it is especially difficult for smaller construction firms to pre-measure building performance for efficiency due to a lack of big-dollar budgets to register their projects with LEED or bring on specialty consultants. 

Following are three key challenges.

 

• Affordability: There are so many decisions to help a client make in the construction process, which is typically a large investment. How can long-term operational data be provided early on to give more peace of mind to the client? There is a need for a single way to bring relevant data into an easy-to-understand view, where multiple measurements and variables can be input and considered holistically instead of tackling just one aspect at a time.
• Efficiency: How can key data be obtained quickly instead of being laboriously hunted for by accessing separate and inconsistent silos? And how can options be compared side by side in real time to be able to make faster decisions? There is a clear need for more easily found data to plug into the performance model, and a smoother method to integrate multiple data points affecting a building into a single view. 
• Simplicity: How do contractors relate the impacts of the materials and choices available to their clients in a way that they will easily comprehend?  

More easily accessible information and a straightforward scoring system can turn the complexity and cost problem for better building performance around. This is part of the open data movement. Open data is any data that can be freely published, used, reused and redistributed by anyone for anyone. This means getting data, sometimes even in real time, that empowers design build teams while saving time and costs.  Open data is now helping to drive key real-time information from federal and local government entities and private companies. For example, hundreds of regional utilities are providing gas and water rates, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is providing local rainfall and weather data. Additionally, Walk Score is publishing statistics regarding the precise proximity of desired resources, such as parks, stores, libraries and businesses."