With the continued advancement of smart building systems, the structures we live and work in are getting cleverer. In light of these changes, Wired magazine has posed the question: Which is smarter: you or your building?

To answer the question the magazine has compiled a number of facts that smart buildings can offer. The tech magazine is willing to bet that you cannot.

Fact 1: A building can tell how much earlier employees leave on a Friday than other weekdays, according to Wired.

By monitoring when lights and other appliances are switched off the building can tell when the office is vacated for the weekend and be able to work out how much earlier we leave on Fridays.

Fact 2: A building knows its average temperature for any week in the year you care to know and, crucially, it can tell if it is achieving that temperature efficiently.

We have access to a wealth of weather information, but the building can harness that and its internal monitoring to determine if the internal temperature is being met from outside heat or internal heaters.

Fact 3: A building can tell what appliances are still working long after the last employee has gone home, according to Wired.

Through analysis of a building’s info it is now possible to isolate wasted energy right down to the individual machine. This can save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.

Fact 4. A building knows your utility bills for your offices abroad… before you open that office.

Through remote energy audits energy managers can now estimate energy usage in far off corners of the globe and determine the best location for future offices.

Fact 5: A Building can tell what department is pulling weekend hours, according to Wired.

What equipment is being used on the weekend? On what floor? While you’re at home enjoying a family barbeque, your office is compiling information to answer the above questions.

The Memoori consultancy said in January that the short term solution to achieving a low carbon economy in the 21st century is by putting a lot more effort into reducing CO2 emissions in buildings and cities. Memoori expects that in 2014 governments will take a route through providing more attractive financial inducements for all those that install plant equipment and controls, which reduce energy consumption in buildings, and combine this with more stringent regulatory targets.

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