Building automation systems and so-called “smart” controllers are nothing new. Building owners have been implementing remote monitoring and control systems for HVAC and lighting for decades. But with the cost of IT components like wireless sensors dropping and technologies like smart meters and cloud-based building management solutions coming on the market, a new era of connectivity and data generation is upon us.
The question becomes: How can commercial building owners leverage real-time, building-related data to more efficiently operate and maintain buildings? Can data analytics, for example, warn facilities teams about problems with equipment before they reach the point of failure? Can it detect subtle changes in fan speed, air temperatures, and energy consumption to trigger continuous adjustments to optimize equipment performance?
Real estate services giant Jones Lang LaSalle set out to answer these questions when it partnered with Pacific Controls to develop IntelliCommand, a 24/7 real-time remote monitoring and control service for its commercial real estate owner clients.
The service—which was pilot tested last year by Procter & Gamble on 12 of its buildings around the world, totaling 3.2 million sf—utilizes Pacific Controls’ wireless sensors to collect and send building performance data from various building automation systems to a remote command center operated by JLL. There, facilities operations experts who are well versed in data analytics and information technology are able to spot and diagnose anomalies that indicate a building system is not running efficiently.
The command center tracks data around the clock, allowing facilities experts to make constant adjustments to fine-tune building performance and address equipment problems before they become serious.
“We can do everything from test equipment to fix building controls remotely,” says Leo O’Loughlin, JLL’s Senior Vice President of Energy and Sustainability, who presented on the topic at BD+C’s BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference in September. “For example, our command center has the ability to remotely test 500 VAV boxes in multiple buildings in multiple locations at 2 a.m. and then submit a work order for the 15 or 20 that need fixing.”
O’Loughlin calls JLL’s new service the future of commissioning—continuous, monitor-based commissioning versus the traditional approach of assess/diagnose/fix/let deteriorate. “It’s all about getting ahead of the maintenance curve,” he says.
The results from the P&G pilot test were impressive: energy costs were slashed by 10% across the 12 buildings in just 11 months, and the investment paid for itself in three months—all without implementing any major building system upgrades.
Managers were able to identify problems that manual inspections could not detect, according to O’Loughlin, including inaccurate thermostat default settings, a temperature anomaly indicating that a heater was operating when not needed, and room-to-room temperature differences that indicated malfunctioning dampers, triggering unnecessary air conditioning. The service saved 8% in energy costs at one pilot location simply by reducing HVAC activity on nights, weekends, and holidays.
“It makes smart buildings smarter,” says Larry Bridge, Global Facilities and Real Estate Governance Manager at P&G. Bridge is currently working with JLL to deploy IntelliCommand throughout its global real estate portfolio of 76 buildings. “Smart building technology is not just about energy cost savings,” he says. “We also get reliability improvements and more efficient work order production.”
Related Stories
| Sep 4, 2013
Augmented reality: 12 applications for design and construction professionals
Building Design+Construction reached out to AEC professionals who have studied and applied augmented reality and asked them to pinpoint applications that are ripe for the technology. Here’s what they had to offer.
| Sep 4, 2013
Augmented reality goes mainstream: 12 applications for design and construction firms
Thanks to inexpensive mobile devices and increasingly advanced software apps, Building Teams are finally able to bring their BIM models to life on the job site.
| Sep 4, 2013
K-12 school design that pays off for students
More and more educators are being influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach to pedagogy, with its mantra of “environment as the third teacher”—an approach that gives Building Teams a responsibility to pay even closer attention to the special needs of today’s schools.
| Sep 4, 2013
Smart building technology: Talking results at the BUILDINGChicago/ Greening the Heartland show
Recent advancements in technology are allowing owners to connect with facilities as never before, leveraging existing automation systems to achieve cost-effective energy improvements. This BUILDINGChicago presentation will feature Procter & Gamble’s smart building management program.
| Sep 4, 2013
Last chance to pre-register for BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland Conference at 20% savings
Attendees of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland Expo and Conference can still save 20% off the at-site registration fee by registering online in these final days before the event opens on September 9 and concludes on September 11.
| Sep 3, 2013
'School in a box' project will place school in San Diego public library
Thinking outside the box, LPA Inc. is designing a school inside a box. With an emphasis on three E’s—Engage, Educate, and Empower—e3 Civic High is now being constructed on the sixth and seventh floors of a public library in downtown San Diego. Library patrons will be able to see into the school via glass elevators, but will not have physical access to the school.
| Sep 3, 2013
Delinquency rate for commercial real estate loans at lowest level in three years
The delinquency rate for US commercial real estate loans in CMBS dropped for the third straight month to 8.38%. This represents a 10-basis-point drop since July's reading and a 175-basis-point improvement from a year ago.
| Sep 3, 2013
EDGE studio, GBBN announce merger
GBBN Architects and EDGE studio of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are very pleased to announce the merger of their firms under GBBN Architects effective September 1, 2013.
| Sep 3, 2013
Jon Pettit (1952-2013) - DLR Group Managing Principal
Jonathan (Jon) E. Pettit, AIA, died August 19, 2013 in Seattle following treatment for cancer. He was 61. Pettit was a DLR Group managing principal and practiced for his entire professional career with DLR Group.
| Aug 30, 2013
Modular classrooms gaining strength with school boards
With budget, space needs, and speed-to-market pressures bearing down on school districts, modular classroom assemblies are often a go-to solution.
