FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
How digital technology in buildings can help achieve a low carbon future
The built environment is responsible for around 40% of global carbon emissions1 it’s no surprise it was high on the agenda at
, so
COP26. With a renewed focus on decarbonising existing facilities such as commercial buildings and a push for tangible progress ahead of this year’s COP27, energy managers should
be embracing the energy saving possibilities that digital technologies offer, says
Fabio Monachesi, global leader of Energy Management, for ABB Electrification
An ESCO T
he road to net zero is potentially a long and arduous one for those with responsibility for
facilities management. Research suggests that US$5.2 trillion of investment2
is needed over the
next ten years to decarbonise the built environment by 2050. Currently, just 18% of organisations have an action plan in place for their real estate portfolio, according to a recent survey by JLL. For those tasked with delivering a net zero future,
it can feel like a mountain to climb. Knowing where to focus efforts for the quick wins and the biggest impact is essential, but without measuring or monitoring energy use it’s difficult to understand what the most impactful improvements will be. This is why more and more organisations are
choosing a data-driven approach to support their low carbon goals, using digital-ready equipment and energy management software to visualise their facility’s energy consumption and identify areas for monitoring and further improvement. So how do you introduce digital tools into your
energy management toolkit? Well, before anything else happens, the first step should be to carry out a concise assessment of current energy usage.
STAGE 1: DETECT Data from utility bills – as well as any available building information – can be used to investigate and virtually separate energy costs to identify possible areas of excess energy consumption. To do this effectively, a large dataset is essential as this will help reveal patterns (seasonal peaks for example). To isolate trends, digital analysis tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms can be very useful. Energy usage analysis can be done in-house if
the skillset is available, but there are energy service companies (ESCO) who can do audits and start creating actionable reports on a company’s behalf. Enlisting the support of an expert service provider early in the process can pay dividends when it comes to maximising the benefits of energy management as quickly as possible.
30 ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Spring 2022
consultant will request as much historical site data as possible, including utility bills, data from building information systems and any on-field sensors, so gathering information is always the right place to start whether you are doing the analysis yourself or not. Once you have assessed how much energy
your building or site has used historically, it is possible to develop realistic benchmark targets to measure carbon reduction objectives and energy saving successes against.
STAGE 2: MONITORING Energy Management Systems (EMS) are widely available and most come as a Software-as-a- Service, so they do not need specific engineering and customisation; and they can be configured and actionable in as little as a day. An EMS can be connected to digital-enabled
products such as circuit breakers, meters, relays and inverters – as well as IoT sensors – to provide users with an on-site connectivity infrastructure or a dashboard with widgets so you can visualise the energy use of your key assets. With access to real time information about how your energy- consuming equipment is performing, it is possible to continually monitor energy use and identify possible issues which need resolving.
STAGE 3: ANALYSE Using the data gathered by the EMS, you can create output reports to analyse KPIs and recommend energy saving actions to help achieve benchmark targets for the building or site – for example, if the monitoring suggests that ageing plant is not operating efficiently, it could be prioritised for replacement. Digital tools such as energy forecasting analytics can make this stage easier and more accurate.
STAGE 4: OPTIMISE This stage defines and visualises asset targets and looks at how performance can be optimised to reach your target KPIs. Smart connected products – such as power quality converters, uninterrupted power suppliers (UPS), transfer switching and advanced relays feeding into an optimisation engine – can all help you realise improved outcomes.
STAGE 5: CONTROL With digital energy management systems and processes in place, you can continue to control and carefully adjust the asset setpoints for maximum energy efficiency and carbon emission reductions. To help increase savings further, you can consider pre-engineered reference architectures with Edge controllers, smart connected products, and investment in on-site renewable-based technology solutions, such as microgrids, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and renewable energy generation, like solar panels.
AN INSIGHT Data insights such as those delivered by ABB Ability Energy Manager can also put you in control of OPEX by helping with the forecasting of energy usage and increasing efficiency up to 30% and reducing costs. This gives a potential payback of less than three years for market leading solutions such as ABB Ability. By using the variety of digital tools on offer,
Facilities Managers can make their buildings smarter, more energy efficient and do their bit to help reduce global emissions for commercial real estate.
ABB
new.abb.com
1
https://ukcop26.org/events/commercial-buildings-a-real-asset-in-addressing-climate-change/ 2
https://www.jll.co.uk/en/trends-and-insights/cities/four-ways-new-cop26-commitments-impact-real-estate
www.energymanagementmag.co.uk
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