Energy Management - The Top Down Perspective
Most Energy Management Strategies use a “Bottom Up” approach. In this approach the focus is on individual devices or systems such as meters or building management systems. These individual items are connected as a subsystem or to other subsystems and eventually may be networked to business or enterprise systems. This approach is “organic” starting at the device level and growing the effort to some end which may not be clearly defined. It’s the approach the industry has driven from the “device or system” level. We define this as a Level 1 solution.
Our concept of an Energy Management System (EMS);
Most large scale users have picked the low hanging fruit of energy management based on equipment and systems conversions. Clients may have integrated other systems to get a deeper look into the facilities utilization but have not realized a return on their investment in additional labor savings or information that helps reduce their costs of operation. Smart Buildings uses a “Top-Down” holistic perspective in looking at every aspect of a customer’s operation that has the potential to impact energy and costs. We “start at the end” with a complete understanding of the functionality a client needs to effectively manage energy usage. Once that is defined and documented, the planning and specifying of the technology and systems to enable the functionality can occur. Solutions may include not only the electrical, mechanical and IT infrastructure but space utilization and people loading factors. We believe in evaluating every aspect of a facility from an energy impact relationship that includes Technical Assessments, Space and Asset Utilization and most importantly the Information Management Platform that is to be used to manage energy from an executive Top-Down decision making aspect. The quote, “you cannot manage what you cannot measure” does not just apply to monitoring of energy usage by meters and energy loads to condition the space but must be applied to every function and usage of the facilities. Very few system control sequences, energy optimization strategies and space loading conditions have been modified to reflect actual usage change. Our energy-related services include;
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