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This Concept Map, created with IHMC CmapTools, has information related to: Opportunities&Problems, Sick Building Syndrome other causes Fluorescent Lighting and Electrical Equipment People commonly report feeling unwell after spending time in buildings lit entirely with fluorescent strip lighting. The flickering light is very harsh and tends to give even otherwise healthy people headaches and make them feel drained. Many people also complain of feeling unwell when they spend time close to computer screens and other electrical equipment. It has been suggested that high frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) which are generated by electrical equipment and a building's wiring can cause a host of unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and inability to concentrate., Sick Building Syndrome causes stemming from improper implementation of Intelligent Systems It has also been suggested that very low levels of specific pollutants, such as VOCs, that are present inside a building may act synergistically, or at least in combination, to cause symptoms of illness. The chemical industry is not strictly regulated, with the majority of the many thousands of chemicals in everyday use having not been tested for health effects before their introduction. Chemicals have traditionally been thought to be toxic only above certain concentrations but scientists are now finding they often have health damaging effects at much lower levels, previously considered to be safe. In the case of small amounts of multiple different chemicals acting in combination to cause illness, there is virtually no research on this to refer to, so any effects are entirely unknown., Sick Building Syndrome other causes Bad Office Design/Ergonomics A badly designed workplace can cause numerous health problems. A cramped office with uncomfortable furniture can result in injuries such as those to the back as well as injuries such as repetitive strain injury (RSI) from repetitive tasks such as typing., Sick Building Syndrome other causes indoor factors, Oppurtunities why are IB relevant and the available future opportunities Cost perceptions Buying integrated systems used to incur capital cost penalties. At the same time operating cost savings could be clearly demonstrated. Technology improvements especially in CCTV and Ethernet bandwidth have rationalised costs. More and more products are designed and sold with intelligent components. The result is little reason for capital penalties when adopting an ‘intelligent building’ philosophy., Intelligent Buildings ???? Oppurtunities, Sick Building Syndrome causes stemming from improper implementation of Intelligent Systems In many SBS cases poor building design, maintenance, and/or operation of the structure's ventilation system may be at fault. The ventilation system in particular is often found to be at the heart of the problem, and can itself be a source of irritants. In addition, a poor ventilation system can result in a buildup of pollutants within the building, in which case the indoor environment can often have air quality much lower than the outdoor air, even in a heavily polluted city centre with it's clouds of vehicle exhaust and other pollutants. Essentially poor office design and maintenance of the ventilation system can amplify the negative health effects of various factors, both biological and chemicals., Oppurtunities why are IB relevant and the available future opportunities Intelligence demanded In this technological age, existing buildings are having more systems installed to meet the increasingly onerous requirements of: • Clients • Occupiers • Facilities managers • Governement bodies • Legislation • Environment and energy costs, Oppurtunities why are IB relevant and the available future opportunities IP based standards Initially IP manifested itself in process control, with the emergence of Industrial Ethernet, and IP enabled field devices such as: sensors; valves and actuators. More recently, the ubiquitous internet and the underlying Ethernet and TCP/IP communications/IP addressing conventions have been adopted in the building systems world by Skanska and others. In the same way that printers, scanners, telephony and other equipment are integrated in the office environment, building systems can be linked together. These include building services systems such as: • Fire alarms • Intruder alarms • Building management systems • CCTV • Access control • Lighting • Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Problems when not properly executed Sick Building Syndrome, Intelligent Buildings ???? Problems, Oppurtunities why are IB relevant and the available future opportunities Market forces Buildings and real estate have to be far more efficient, whilst being less expensive to construct. This is coupled with life cycle cost benefits and efficiency of resources. Intelligent buildings provide flexibility and adaptability which can be simply changed to meet the increasing business and legislative demands.