75F > Case Studies > IoT-Based Energy Management: A Case Study of Bright Power and 75F

IoT-Based Energy Management: A Case Study of Bright Power and 75F

Technology Category

Sensors - Environmental Sensors
Sensors - Temperature Sensors

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Cement

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Building Automation & Control
Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems

Services

System Integration

The Customer

Bright Power

About The Customer

Bright Power is a nationwide leader in strategic energy solutions for building owners and operators. The organization’s mission is to increase the value and performance of buildings, improve the comfort, health, and productivity of occupants, and eliminate negative impacts on the climate. This mission extends to the company’s own headquarters in New York. The company is committed to reducing energy waste, increasing comfort, and evaluating how IoT-based controls can help their commercial and multifamily clients achieve the same. They also required an open-source solution that could install in tandem with Tunstall radiator products.

The Challenge

Bright Power, a nationwide leader in strategic energy solutions, was facing challenges with simultaneous heating and cooling in its New York headquarters due to uncontrolled perimeter radiation and packaged air conditioning on thermostats. The building’s system included individually-controlled thermostatic radiator valves and a packaged air-conditioning unit. This led to frequent simultaneous heating and cooling and a lack of control, resulting in energy wastage and occupant discomfort. Bright Power sought to control the space’s disparate systems with the aim to reduce energy waste, increase comfort, and evaluate how IoT-based controls can help their commercial and multifamily clients achieve the same. They also required an open-source solution that could install in tandem with Tunstall radiator products.

The Solution

75F deployed a proportional integral (PI) loop to control 15 steam radiators and thermostatic, occupancy-scheduled control for an obsolete, 10-ton packaged air-conditioning unit. Bright Power also received access to Facilisight, 75F’s web and mobile app for secure, portfolio-wide building insight and control. The hardware across ten zones included one Central Control Unit, nine Smart Nodes, eight Intelligent Temperature Motes, two E10001 multi-tap transformers, and one S10013 Airflow Temperature Sensor. The operation under 75F’s control involved an occupied temperature of 72F and an unoccupied temperature of 67F. Occupied times were programmed to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and heating setpoint anticipation and zone balancing was enabled. To compare 75F’s IoT-based solution with the manual control baseline, project engineers programmed the BAS to alternate control between baseline and 75F every three days.

Operational Impact

The implementation of 75F's IoT-based solution effectively controlled the disparate systems by eliminating simultaneous heating and cooling and dramatically reducing equipment runtimes. Bright Power's heating and cooling systems now work consistently and effectively, and occupants work in a space without dramatic hot and cold spots. Building operators also have centralized visibility and control over their space, and an open-source system that poses no limits to future integrations. The solution also aligns with the Local Law 97, which aims to reduce emissions by 40 percent in New York's largest buildings by 2030, and 80 percent by 2050. The IoT-based building controls will be the most economical and effective strategy to reduce HVAC emissions and bring buildings closer to Local Law 97 requirements.

Quantitative Benefit

Reduced radiator operation from 86% to 52% during occupied times and 16% during unoccupied times.
Projected annual fan savings of approximately 9,630 kWh.
Air conditioning compressor savings of approximately 3,505 kWh.