Green building energy management solutions can significantly improve the energy-efficiency of commercial buildings, making them more affordable, comfortable, and sustainable. Energy-efficiency is one of the central issues driving the green building movement. Commercial buildings account for 20% of the energy use in the United States. A significant amount of this energy is wasted through the needless cooling, lighting, and ventilation of unoccupied areas in commercial structures. By regulating environmental systems and modifying energy use according to the occupancy status of building areas, a green building energy management system can reduce a commercial building’s power consumption by as much as 30 percent.

Why energy management solutions are needed

Cooling, ventilation, and lighting account for more than 60% of the energy use in commercial buildings, according to the U.S. Energy Department. At any given time, 30% to 40% of a commercial building is unoccupied, but lighting and environmental systems typically remain on in these empty areas. As a result, as much as almost 30% of a commercial building’s energy use is needlessly wasted. Green energy management solutions respond to changing conditions in the building, leveraging occupancy information to dictate where and how energy is used. By shutting off or regulating resource use in unoccupied areas, energy management systems can improve the energy efficiency of buildings and achieve a significant reduction in operating costs.

How energy management solutions work

Green energy management solutions can be incorporated into new buildings as they are constructed or retrofit into existing structures. They use building automation systems to integrate the electrical, mechanical, and security systems in a building. Once integrated, the building systems can exchange and share information so they work together more effectively. Motion sensors, RFID scanners, and other occupancy sensors placed throughout the building register when an area becomes unoccupied. The energy management system turns off lights and adjusts temperature control in unoccupied areas to reduce unnecessary energy use.

Green energy management systems can also control lighting and temperature according to a set schedule. Lighting controls can range from basic systems that use time and zone controls to fully automatic central building management systems that control all of the lighting and equipment in multiple facilities. HVAC controls can include an Automatic Tenant Override system so that tenants can remotely access controls in their section of the building.

Benefits of green building energy management solutions

Green energy management solutions offer significant advantages to commercial building owners and tenants. By reducing the amount of energy used by commercial buildings, green energy management solutions offer significant cost savings for owners. Tenant acquisition and retention rates are higher, as many tenants now seek out green buildings. They appreciate the lower energy costs, as well as the improved comfort and convenience that comes from occupying a more responsive building system.

If you are interested in a green building energy management system for your new building or existing structure, Advanced Control Corporation’s energy experts can help. We’ve been green since before green was cool. As the industry leader in green building energy management solutions in South Florida since 1987, Advanced Control Corporation has helped thousands of buildings improve their energy efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint.