Crunching the numbers goes a long way for your buildings and the environment. Analytics of data from a building’s control systems can transform a facilities department and assist organizations in meeting emissions targets.
A webinar hosted by Second Nature and BuildPulse on May 2, 2017, called Achieving Climate Action Goals by Leveraging Data Analytics, encouraged all building managers to monitor and analyze control systems data.
Data analytics offers many benefits that focus around creating comfortable spaces, said Brice Kosnik, CEO and co-founder of BuildPulse.
“The goal to sustainable HVAC operations is how do we get to a point where we have good indoor air quality, comfortable spaces and energy efficiency across the board.”
Analyzing data offers a peek into what is actually happening in automation systems. Problems, miscalibrations or broken equipment can be spotted before occupants feel uncomfortable.
Kosnik said data analysis lets technicians focus on fixing and optimizing systems instead of searching for problems.
“On the facilities side, it is really about managing work.”
Data analysis contributes to continuously optimizing systems and avoiding efficiency degradation. This allows organizations to meet internal and external goals for energy efficiency and emissions.
Collecting and analyzing data
The first step is collecting data from a facility’s control systems, which are “designed to do very basic control of electrical equipment.”
Extra sensors – such as for outdoor air temperature, indoor air temperature and mixing air temperature – contribute to a well-rounded look into a building’s equipment and air conditions.
“When you can automate that analysis, you can eliminate upwards of 50% of the time spent troubleshooting problems.”
That means less labour costs, equipment is better maintained and less energy is wasted.
Creating trust is the key to success
Once data is collected and analyzed alongside air temperature and quality indices, problems can be resolved and concerns can be fixed before they become a big issue.
The biggest challenge, according to Kosnik, is not capturing and analyzing the data; the biggest problem is creating trust for the data from building managers and technicians.
Facilities staff who are intimately aware of a building’s equipment and systems may be hesitant to trust data over their hands-on experience.
“You have to get over that trust. The way we have successes in the past is by engagement,” said Kosnik. Regular training, meetings and check-ins help to demonstrate to all staff that the data is useful, correct and a benefit to their job.
“Once you get over that trust barrier, that’s when it clicks.”
Streamline your analytics
Leveraging the latest automated diagnostic and fault detection tools, Rede Energy Solutions can capture and analyze the data that is important to your facilities. We know analytics and we know schools. Contact us today to learn more about how Rede can help your facilities benefit from the power of numbers.