October 2012 |
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The Coming Wave of Intelligent Efficiency in Buildings The technology is ready to make an impact. |
Mike Zimmerman Founder, CEO BuildingIQ |
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There has been a lot of buzz about “intelligent efficiency” in the
commercial building industry. According to a report from the American
Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), 22 percent of current
energy consumption in the United States could be replaced by
intelligent efficiency. This sounds like great news, but what exactly
is intelligent efficiency? And how will it eliminate energy
consumption?
Intelligent efficiency is all about looking at the big picture or using
a holistic approach to saving energy. In the past, everyone’s mindset
was to make each part of a building as efficient as possible without
taking into consideration how efficiently each part worked together.
Instead of just having efficient components it is more beneficial to
have efficient components within an efficient system, whether it is a
building, city, transportation system or power grid.
The ACEEE report broke down intelligent efficiency into three
categories: people-centered, technology-centered, and service-oriented.
The first two can be applied to commercial buildings.
While people-centered efficiency can make an impact on energy savings,
in the commercial building industry it can be considered out-dated to
rely solely on this type of efficiency. People-centered efficiency is
by nature passive. The consumer has to have been inefficient in his or
her consumption of power in order to later analyse the data and adjust
his or her behaviour. In the residential setting this might be more
acceptable, but in the commercial building environment this can result
in a large opportunity cost for the building owner. The future for
energy management relies on widespread use of technology-centered
efficiency.
Technology-centered efficiency consists of a more automated approach
utilizing sensors, monitors and “smart” technologies. This approach is
most applicable to commercial buildings. Technology-centered efficiency
within an entire system requires machine to machine communications and
integration. This can be accomplished through the use of cloud
communications technology to make instant calculations, anticipate
changes and adjust controls based on predictions. Buildings need to
utilize energy management systems that are active. Through predictive
energy optimization, a management system can use variables such as
real-time weather, energy grid and occupant comfort information, to
continuously predict conditions and make corresponding adjustments.
With a technology-centered approach human interaction with the
management system is minimal, with day-to-day functions being handled
automatically after the initial set up of the system. This
reduces the burden on a building’s operations staff and reduces labor
costs.
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These concepts aren’t new. While technologies have been evolving and
expanding a building’s efficiency capabilities, there are companies
that have been established around these principles of creating an
efficient system for years. Even though the technology is proven, many
building owners are either not aware of these advancements or have
reservations about implementing this technology. One of the common
deterrents is the misconception that implementing an active energy
management system would require a large capital investment. The use of
cloud technologies has reduced the initial investment required, making
implementation a much more viable option than in the past.
Savings generated, are aligned with operational expenditure rather than
CapEx.
The buzz that has been created around intelligent efficiency is the
first step in wide-spread acceptance and use of energy management
systems in commercial buildings. The technology is ready to make an
impact. The more attention that this opportunity receives, the faster
we move towards a future of intelligent efficiency being common
practice.
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