4 Reasons A Building Energy Dashboard is More Than Just Eye Candy

Matt Henderson, Director of Business Development Facility Automation Solutions

Think about the last time you walked into a hospital, office building, or university and saw a dashboard kiosk in the lobby. Did the display grab your attention? Was the information useful? The large screens and vibrant content really enhance the building atmosphere. But that is not all they do. There is a reason why building owners and facility managers are willing to spend money on a lobby dashboard. Here are four reasons why a dashboard, specifically a building energy dashboard, is more than just eye candy:

1.    The Ability for Tasteful Self Promotion

Building dashboards give building owners and businesses a platform to share with building occupants anything that puts them in a positive light. Maybe the building is a LEED building, has had gains in energy efficiency, or the company occupying the building recently received an award. Building dashboards are a great way to engage building occupants and share the good news without appearing arrogant.

2.    Sustainability Efforts and Energy Efficiency Awareness

Companies spend a lot of time and money establishing LEED status for their building and working to enhance energy efficiency. There is currently an energy dashboard on the market that allows live and historical data from the building automation system to be displayed to building occupants. (www.vantagepointdisplay.com) Making this information available helps to increase awareness which could have a measurable impact on energy usage within a building. For instance, a university might use energy consumption data to create a competition between college dormitories. The dorm that uses the least amount of energy for the semester will win a pizza party. The live and historical data for each dorm can be displayed in a bar graph to let each dorm know where they stand during the semester. The idea is that students are more aware of energy consumption and that knowledge drives change throughout the campus.

3.    Accountability

How many times have you tried a new weight loss program or workout but failed because you failed to have someone hold you accountable? Accountability is a powerful tool that can be used to drive excellence within your buildings. When the facilities team knows their building energy data will be shared with the masses, they will feel accountable for that data. As a result, they will work to find solutions that drive down energy costs and put the team in a positive light. The energy dashboard can also act as a motivator as the facilities team showcases that they are making a difference during daily operations.

4.    Communication

Building dashboards provide a great opportunity to communicate a wide variety of messages to building occupants. Examples of potential messages include cafeteria schedules, current weather forecasts, special events, or even building specific emergency messages. Regardless of the message, people appreciate information and this is just one more way to further serve your tenants.

So the next time you find yourself in a building lobby with a dashboard kiosk, I hope you will take the time to engage and see what is communicated. You may learn something about the building that goes beyond screen deep.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]About the Author

Matt Henderson is the Director of Business Development for Facility Automation Solutions and a LEED Green Associate. He leverages technology and software products to enhance building efficiency for clients. He is a committed learner and is constantly striving to find better ways to reduce energy consumption. Connect with Matt on linkedin, https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=281821742&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Facility Automation Solutions is a Jacksonville based controls company. They integrate, commission, and service the most advanced system control technologies available today. In addition, they are a software integrator and work daily to provide additional cloud-based solutions to serve their customers. For more information, please visit www.jaxcontrols.com.

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