Innovation in Smart Building Automatic Control, Further Advanced with scafa

In modern society, smart buildings are no longer a distant future concept. From large commercial buildings to advanced industrial facilities, efficient and safe management has become a key competitive edge. However, amidst rapidly advancing technology, integrating various facilities and systems to deliver optimal performance is never an easy task. To address these challenges, the integrated control platform scafa is gaining attention. It offers solutions supporting the optimal maintenance of diverse building facilities such as PMS (Facility Management), PRC (Process Control), PQMA (Power Quality Analysis), and MCSA (Motor Diagnosis). Now, let’s explore how scafa maximizes the efficiency of smart buildings.

New Paradigm for Building Management, Why Is It Needed?

For years, one of the biggest challenges in building management has been effectively linking and operating diverse facilities and systems. Typically, different devices such as HVAC units, lighting, and meters operate independently and are only individually addressed when problems arise. Inefficient management leading to high energy costs and unnecessary operational issues has continuously troubled managers.

In reality, many large buildings frequently experience energy wastage due to improperly controlled HVAC units and lighting. This does not simply end as a cost issue but can extend to environmental problems due to energy waste. Moreover, mechanical equipment often experiences breakdowns due to inadequate systematic monitoring of their conditions. Such inefficient management structures ultimately create immense stress for the managers and increase unnecessary costs for enterprises or users.

Operation of Smart Buildings, If Still Relying on ‘Distributed Management’

From HVAC units to solar facilities, today’s buildings are composed of numerous devices and systems. The problem is that these devices operate in their own unique ways, making integrated control and data management extremely difficult. Although DCS (Distributed Control System) manages some facilities, there are limits in efficiently operating and analyzing the entire system from one platform.

Especially when the process of collecting and processing on-site data is fragmented at the facility level, it is often difficult to gain real-time insights into energy usage or equipment condition. This makes predictive maintenance challenging and acts unfavorably in terms of energy savings or operational efficiency. Thus, managers find themselves repeatedly collecting and addressing data manually by navigating through different system interfaces.

This type of operational structure makes advanced analysis or automatic control virtually impossible. To move away from a reactive operation model—where issues such as equipment malfunctions or energy wastage are only recognized after they occur—a more sophisticated and integrated management system is imperative. As digital transformation accelerates, building operational environments also need to transition to new standards.

Integrated Control Implemented by scafa, How Is It Applied On-Site?

The true value of an integrated control system is demonstrated in real operational environments. scafa features a structure that integrates the overall operation of facilities within a building into a single platform. It starts with the ‘Field Layer’, which collects data from various equipment such as HVAC, power facilities, lighting control, and renewable energy installations. This layer collects real-time data through sensors and controllers attached to every piece of equipment, allowing for quick detection of state changes or abnormalities.