Smart & Resilient Cities recently published an article on Facility Maintenance Automation And The Advantages Of Smart Buildings.
A smart building refers to any facility that uses automated processes to automatically control the building’s physical operations, such as ventilation and heating, temperature, lighting, security, alarms, and other systems through the use of sensors, microchips, and actuators that automatically transfer and receive data from a computer.
We offer a solution that takes smart buildings a step further. Utilities Watch (UW) is a combination of software and engineering expertise that manages energy, reduces costs, and minimizes environmental impact by complying with carbon and emissions regulations. How exactly does UW address the advantages of smart buildings offered in the article?
Reduced operation and energy consumption/ Improve building efficiency
UW offers a simple solution for managing energy, reducing costs, minimizing environmental impact and complying with carbon and emissions regulations. The heart of the system is a powerful analytics engine with a proven track record of solving complex energy problems.
The UW solution compiles data from various disparate sources and locations: building automation systems (BAS), meters, mechanical equipment, third party applications, local weather stations, load profiles, occupancy schedules, etc. Additionally, if a certain level of data isn’t available, we can install additional sensors and controllers throughout the building, which provide insight into energy consumption patterns. We leverage this existing technology and data to provide real-time information along with actionable, measurable opportunities for improvement; because “you can’t manage what you can’t see”.
Utilities Watch also identifies specific ECMs (Energy Conservation Opportunities/Measures) and Load Management strategies that decrease energy use and cost. By analyzing comprehensive building data, we automatically identify ECMs at both a system level and within individual assets. The software focuses on “low/no-cost” recommendations with fast payback periods. Our technology in conjunction with the expertise of our Energy Analysts/Engineers gives unparalleled insight into portfolios, buildings, systems and assets.
Sophisticated fault detection algorithms identify when an asset is operating outside of expected, optimal efficiency specifications. Issues that typically go unnoticed for weeks or months, costing the facility money, are now diagnosed and resolved almost immediately.
Preventive maintenance
UW finds anomalies fast, before they lead to equipment failure or inefficient operational conditions. Our platform identifies issues and conditions that affect the operational expense of a building as well as the equipment integrity and overall life expectancy. UW can identify issues such as: leaking or hunting valves, fan failures, damper linkages not sealing correctly, sensor calibration issues, dirty heat exchanger coils or filter replacements, and more.
Our solution can pinpoint equipment that is approaching its end of life and make plans to replace before equipment fails, avoiding more costly repairs and unexpected replacement down the line.
Comfort of workers and building occupants
UW helps employers ensure that their employees have a safe, comfortable place to work by proactively monitoring indoor air quality, space temperatures and humidity levels in real time. Increased comfort leads to increased employee productivity and tenant satisfaction.
Better use of resources
UW gives time back to facilities teams by making them much more efficient. UW provides customized alerts and recommended resolutions on potential equipment issues that can be delivered through daily/weekly emails or via a report of top sources of energy waste that can be provided on a real time basis. Notifications can be customized based on client needs.
At the highest level, our software delivers analysis of a building and presents the highest priority information from various systems in a simple user interface. It simplifies the management of your building, identifies opportunities for better coordination of systems, saves time for the facilities team and proactively directs users to problems.
Not only is our solution completely customizable based on the client’s needs, but the dashboards and views can be created to show financial and/or operational KPIs. Utilities Watch provides data that can be used from the board room to the boiler room.
This solution results in reduced operational expenses by improving building efficiency. By optimizing the energy-using systems in a building, cost and energy spend can be reduced by 10-25%.
Liz McCormick, Director of Business Development, Energy Division
Liz McCormick serves as Pennoni’s Director of Business Development, Energy Division in our Philadelphia, PA office. Liz brings more than 20 years of business development experience and her expertise includes public and private project development in the mid-Atlantic region. Liz is responsible for developing and growing Pennoni’s energy market sectors. This includes Energy Efficiency, Energy Management and Distributed Generation deal flow. She will draw upon her extensive client relationships to develop and identify new work opportunities and to expand the Pennoni brand within the region.
Contact Liz for more information on Utilities Watch at LMcCormick@Pennoni.com.