How to achieve maximum energy efficiency in building facilities?

The building sector in the European Union accounts for more than 40% of average final energy consumption, making the promotion of energy efficiency in buildings an important part of the set of policies and measures needed to meet energy targets set at both national and international levels. To reduce the energy consumption of building installations, it is essential to have control systems over the consuming elements. Edison Next offers the WhyB® service: Building Analytics, made up of a group of specialists in the operation of installations, who advise and help building managers understand how they work, as well as various developments that may arise in regulations, supplies, etc. The rise in electricity prices has accelerated property owners and managers to change their strategies and raise awareness among their users of the need to adapt their habits and uses. In the case of facility managers or property owners, part of the strategies are based on: – Monitoring and analysis of energy consumption. Monitoring installations and their operation is essential to identify savings opportunities. – Optimization of lighting. Use of LED bulbs and implementation of sensors, as these bulbs can consume up to 80% less than other more conventional lighting. Likewise, installing motion sensors in different parts of the building, especially in bathrooms, hallways, lobbies, and parking lots, generates energy savings, as it ensures that areas are only lit when occupied. – Optimization of equipment operating parameters. Adjustment of setpoints and dead bands to avoid excess production, as well as adaptation of control loops to ensure optimal equipment operation. – Utilization of “free” energy, by installing recovery equipment that improves environmental conditions without extra energy consumption, thanks to the use of heat from the existing indoor air. Similarly, promoting equipment operation in freecooling mode to reduce energy consumption in cooling production. – Production based on climate demand rather than occupancy. By ensuring production turns on only when truly necessary (only when the climate demands hot/cold water), more efficient and sustainable production is achieved, avoiding energy waste. Occupancy alone does not always require production to be turned on. – Anticipating potential mechanical problems by performing up-to-date maintenance of valves and filters. – Informing and raising awareness among users, making recommendations and informing them about the correct course of action: o Do not open windows. Large buildings have a regulated ventilation system that keeps indoor air as clean as possible. In some more advanced cases, particle concentration is measured so the system regulates itself to find appropriate values for occupant health. If we open windows in an urban area, for example, we allow outdoor air pollution to enter, while maintaining the energy expenditure corresponding to ventilation, as well as that of air conditioning. o Use of IoT technology and applications for collecting user comfort data and transmitting it to maintenance. Many workspaces house a large number of people coexisting for many hours, and not all will have the same response to climatic conditions. In this way, and with IoT technology as a cornerstone, each user can communicate their request to maintenance through an application, allowing technicians to monitor the installation’s operation and configure it globally based on the records. With all this information and the implementation of technological solutions, buildings are enabled to function better and be more efficient and sustainable. All of this translates into energy and cost savings, as well as a reduction in the carbon footprint.