Real-Time Energy Management Solutions for Buildings
Commercial real estate is competitive. To attract and retain the best tenants at your properties, you need to be the best match for their needs. Sure, the old adage about location still holds true, but modern tenants want more. They want comfortable buildings with modern amenities. Tenants still prioritize sustainability. You may even rake in up to 25.3% more in revenue by operating a LEED-certified building.
Real-time energy monitoring solutions are a must if you’re interested in touting your efficiency to attract tenants. These systems use technology to assess your energy usage around the clock. You get dashboards with insights for cutting costs and improving efficiency.
What Are Real-Time Energy Management Solutions?
In commercial buildings, real-time energy management is a combination of technology and data analysis tools that optimize your energy consumption. The days of monthly meter readings and compiling data through bills are over.
IoT sensors and submeters in different areas of your building collect data all the time. These devices use a gateway connection to send data to your monitoring platform. You have digital meter readers onsite 24/7 to give you second-by-second visibility.
This visibility matters because you learn what’s normal for your building. You can also locate and fix energy vampires (the copy machine you haven’t replaced in a decade) and compile insights to prove compliance with environmental regulations.
How IoT and Analytics Power Real-Time Energy Monitoring
Real-time energy monitoring systems include meters connected to your network, along with HVAC sensors and equipment monitors. You program these sensors to transmit readings to a cloud-based application.
For example, you can install Attune’s submeters throughout your building to see how your HVAC system, appliances, lighting, and other equipment are using energy. Here’s how it works:
Each sensor collects data and pushes it out through the network at regular intervals.
An edge device or local server collects the data onsite, processes it, and sends it to a cloud-based analytics dashboard.
You access the dashboard through a smartphone, computer, or tablet.
Real-time monitoring with AI makes your data even more useful. These systems use machine learning to understand and analyze energy usage over time. They detect patterns, anomalies, and inefficiencies. An AI-powered platform may send you an alert when it notices energy spikes and other anomalies. You can decide if it’s a normal fluctuation or something that needs immediate attention onsite.
Key Benefits of Real-Time Energy Management
Cost savings are one of the key benefits of energy monitoring software. You cut costs by:
Identifying waste: Learn which of your systems are draining your electricity.
Optimizing your equipment: Use smart thermostats and other technology to run your HVAC system based on occupancy instead of internal temperature.
Lowering peak demand: Schedule tasks that require a lot of energy consumption (such as server backups or large batch printing) during off-peak hours for smaller bills.
ESG Compliance
Real-time monitoring systems also save you from the tedious task of compiling energy usage and emissions data to make a report for ESG compliance. Your sensors transmit all the data to a platform that transforms it into neat, easy-to-read dashboards.
Turn these dashboards into compliance reports for governing agencies and publish them on your website for investors and prospective tenants. Your potential occupants and investors want to know you’re committed to reducing your carbon footprint, and these reports provide the proof.
Tenant Satisfaction
Real-time energy management systems also make your tenants more comfortable. These systems trigger the HVAC system to adjust the temperature and ventilation based on how many people are in a room. If your tenants are used to working in older buildings where someone is always freezing or roasting, they will appreciate the automated climate control.
Proactive Maintenance
You also get alerted to equipment issues and performance data right away. For example, when your system tells you the HVAC system is sucking up energy, you can check for dirty filters, electrical issues, refrigerant leaks, and other problems. Fixing them early saves you from costly repairs later.
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Since real-time monitoring solutions track data in every part of your building, you have hard data for capital planning. Seeing energy inefficiencies helps you prioritize where to install retrofits or consider switching to renewable energy.
Core Features To Look For in Real-Time Energy Management Systems
What you do with your real-time monitoring system data depends on your system. Some collect more data and offer more useful features. Here’s a list of what to look for in IoT hardware:
Live dashboards: Easily track and compare consumption, demand, and cost trends with live dashboards that let you compare data over time.
Automated alerts: Track and respond to potential issues faster with automated alerts.
Historical data analysis: Get the full picture of your energy consumption and track trends and patterns through historical data.
Integration with building systems: Choosing a system that integrates with your smart HVAC, building performance management, and building automation systems helps you optimize your energy consumption.
Mobile access: Choose a platform with a mobile app so your facility team can access information remotely. They can also adjust and manage systems without having to be onsite.
Cybersecurity and data accuracy: Adding more connected devices to your IT infrastructure can open you up to cyberattacks. AI-powered systems can also be inaccurate depending on the data they analyze. Choose a platform with strong security protocols and data analysis protocols.
Integrating Real-Time Energy Monitoring With Attune’s Platform
Attune offers a plug-and-play energy monitoring solution with hardware that captures live energy, environmental, and equipment data. We offer sensors and hardware to collect data without sucking up your bandwidth.
Our bridge devices offer edge processing that enables you to get your data faster than through cloud-based platforms. We work with you to develop a system that collects the data you need for ESG reporting and energy optimization. Our solution is also scalable, meaning you can easily adapt as you grow and add more sites.
Contact us today to learn more about our real-time energy monitoring solution and start being smarter with your energy use.
