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by Phoenix Energy Technologies on Jan 27, 2020
The variety of factors that influence how much energy a building consumes and the pressures energy and facility managers face in balancing various priorities can be overwhelming. We have compiled a list of common questions below with links and guides as a meaningful resource for those managers.
What is Adaptive Energy Management?
Adaptive Energy Management (AEM) is an around the clock strategy that monitors and regulates building control systems, such as HVAC, in a dynamic approach. This approach takes into consideration multiple data sources, including current and historical weather conditions and occupancy levels, and optimizes building and mechanical systems based on the overall data.
AEM can increase profit, comfort, and efficiency by such things as:
- “Flattening” load shapes through optimized equipment scheduling and fine tuning of control loops ahead of peak demand times when electric rates are significantly higher
- Alerting management of required system maintenance, which can maximize the life of equipment
- Leveraging external data from systems such as ERP, CMMS, Utility Bill Accounting and others
Additional Information:
Adaptive Energy Management Guide
AEM: Stop choosing between energy savings and comfort
The Vision for PhoenixET and the Future of Energy Management
How does benchmarking help in facilities management?
Benchmarking allows facility and energy managers to assess and evaluate a building’s performance relative to the rest of their portfolio. Primarily, maintenance costs, energy demand and consumption, individual unit efficiency, and asset management are key metrics taken into account.
Setting benchmarks allows managers to measure and validate projects that provide a compelling ROI, highlight productive areas, and identify operational or infrastructure issues. Benchmarks also allow for better planning of eco-friendly and/or upgrade projects.
Additional Information:
Top 3 Benefits of Benchmarking for Facilities Management
5 Assumptions Setting Back Your Setpoint Strategy
Top 3 Benefits of Benchmarking for Facilities Management
What is closed loop control?
Closed loop control, through the use of machine learning algorithms, fine tunes the operation of the control system; in real-time. The addition of the machine learning algorithm effectively creates more precise loop control, adding an enormous amount of value for a building manager who is trying to balance the demands of managing a building effectively.
Additional Information:
Understanding Closed Loop Control
Adaptive Energy Management Guide
Top 3 Benefits of Benchmarking for Facilities Management
What is Delta T?
Additional Information:
How to Test the Quality of Your Preventative Maintenance
How to Get Buildings Ready to Reopen Following COVID Closures
What are Distributed Energy Resources?
Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) are small-scale power generation or power storage methods. These methods either generate energy or enable the buffering of that energy to provide greater flexibility to the main grid.
DER examples include:
- Solar power
- Fuel Cells
- Compressed air
- Microturbines
- Thermal energy storage
- Electrochemical Batteries
DERs are also referred to as on-site or BTM energy generation.
Additional Information:
What Energy & Facility Managers Should Know About DERs
Why Data Matters In Energy Management
Are You Managing Your Energy Spend?
What are examples of building energy management?
Here are five case studies spanning a variety of industries outlining how building energy management was carried out and improved energy use and spend.
- National Department Store Saves Energy & Improves Internal Regional Call Process
- National Grocery Chain Saves Over a Million Dollars Across Multiple Sites
- National Healthcare Group Solves for Centralized Management Issues
- Precision Building Management Controls for a National Retailer
- Spotlight on Energy Savings: A National Movie Chain Case Study
Additional Information:
How IoT Is Helping Facility Managers Control Energy Spend
Why Data Matters In Energy Management
What is facility management software?
Facilities management software connects energy and facility managers to their building data points and building control systems. The software enables more efficient and effective management, with many automation features often included.
Additional Information:
Smart Buildings, Building Automation - What’s the Point?
Leveraging Data Points Into Regulatory Compliance Tasks
Adaptive Energy Management Guide
5 Assumptions Setting Back Your Setpoint Strategy
What are good facility management conferences?
See below a list of the top facility conferences and workshops for energy and facility managers held each year.
- Edison Energy Institute’s semi-annual National Key Account Workshop - This workshop connects national, chain, and multi-site energy users to utility account and energy supply representatives where the latest technologies, products, and services designed to save energy consumers money are showcased.
- The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) hosts and co-hosts conferences all over the world every year. The goal is to educate and facilitate networking among facility managers.
- The National Facilities Management and Technology Conference and Expo turns 20 this year. They plan to include 100 sessions covering 8 different topic areas in 2020.
Additional Information:
Energy Workshop Lights Up Vegas - EEI Fall Accounts Workshop Wrap Up
Top 3 Benefits of Benchmarking for Facilities Management
What are good building energy management systems?
A robust building energy management system allows managers to conserve and reuse energy in dynamic ways by capturing data from all of the building’s electrical devices, mechanisms, etc. The management system needs to give managers the ability to identify issues, automate responses, automate alerts for troubleshooting and maintenance, evaluate benchmarks, and isolate and recommend ways to reduce energy waste.
Additional Information:
Leveraging Data Points Into Regulatory Compliance Tasks
Why Data Matters In Energy Management
Are You Managing Your Energy Spend?
Adaptive Energy Management Guide
What is load shifting?
Load shifting occurs when a building redistributes electric kW demand to “off peak” hours when grid energy is considerably less expensive.
Additional Information:
What Facility Managers Need to Know About Load Shifting - Part 1
What Facility Managers Need to Know About Load Shifting - Part 2
What are retail energy management solutions?
Retail energy management solutions refer to the computers and devices that monitor and control a retail store’s (or retail chain’s) energy use. Lighting and ventilation account for the bulk of energy use in retail, so it is important to capture this data at every location a retail chain may manage. Once data is coming in, software can automate monitoring and help isolate issues and areas where energy consumption can be reduced.
Additional Information:
Precision Building Management Controls for a National Retailer
Are You Managing Your Energy Spend?
Leveraging Data Points Into Regulatory Compliance Tasks
Our goal is to enable grocery stores, retailers, universities, theaters and many other industries to accomplish their energy savings goals with best-in-class software that monitors and controls building control systems.
If you would like an evaluation of your specific energy goals, please reach out to us below.
