ENERGY SAVING
As an example of this in practice, one large North American retailer working with IMS Evolve highlighted how straightforward operational changes can translate into signifi cant savings. Its challenge was that HVAC units continued to run at full daytime set-points long after stores closed, wasting energy overnight. An IoT-enabled strategy introduced automated daily health checks across the retailer’s HVAC assets. Units operating within healthy parameters were enrolled in a night-time setback programme that lowered their load during unoccupied hours. To avoid sharp morning surges in power demand, the system brought them back to daytime temperatures in a gradual, staged sequence.
The outcome was $15.1 million in reduced energy costs
across 1,800 sites in the initial rollout. As the approach scales to 5,000 locations, projections see the retailer saving $42 million. Equally as important is that its autonomous IoT operations returned 99.5% of units to normal temperature before opening time, with an automated re-run capturing almost all remaining stragglers.
Bringing people with you Technology only succeeds if the workforce adopts it. Engineers accustomed to manual inspections and paper work orders may be wary of dashboards and automated alerts at fi rst. Early engagement, training and a clear demonstration of benefi ts, including fewer emergency callouts, less travel, and higher
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fi rst-time fi x rates, will help overcome that reluctance. They will soon see a positive change when the IoT system gives them better insight before arriving on site, allowing them to focus on higher-value diagnostic and optimisation work rather than routine checks.
Looking ahead The direction of travel is towards systems that not only detect anomalies but also learn continuously from building use patterns, local weather and grid conditions when coupled with AI advances. For engineers and business leaders alike, this means the decisions made today about adopting IoT lay the foundation for assets that will become smarter and help businesses meet ever-stricter climate demands over the coming decade. In short, the move to IoT-enabled HVAC should not be seen as optional. For organisations facing high energy prices, net- zero commitments and pressure to deliver reliable comfort for staff and customers, the case for using data-driven controls is hard to ignore. By turning existing equipment into a responsive, insight- rich network, engineers can step off the treadmill of reactive repair and begin running their asset estates as coordinated, effi cient systems. That means lower energy use, longer asset life, fewer service disruptions and a measurable contribution to decarbonisation.
'Instead of heading out blind to a fault call, they can review live graphs and diagnostic notes before they leave.'
www.acr-news.com • January 2026 25
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