Increasing energy demand, global climate change, and constrained energy supplies have made energy usage a critical issue in today’s society. Commercial real estate owners in particular are affected by energy issues, as their largest single operating expense is energy use, which can account for as much as an entire third of a building’s operating budget. Once you take that information into account, employing energy conservation techniques in commercial buildings is not only an environmentally responsible course of action, it also makes sound financial sense. By applying energy conservation techniques in several key areas of your building, you can decrease your energy usage, reduce your carbon footprint, and lower your energy costs to manageable levels.

When considering energy conservation techniques, cutting off energy use in areas of your building that are unoccupied is a logical first step. Since 30% to 40% of commercial real estate is typically unoccupied at any given time, it is possible for building owners to reduce their energy costs by up to 30% by managing the lighting, heating, and cooling of unused areas. Advanced Control Corporation can install a customized building automation solution that will take control of these critical systems to improve your building’s energy efficiency. Customized solutions can include tenant override technology that provides a smartphone based override module to allow tenants the capability to override HVAC, lighting, and temperature controls.

Lighting control is extremely effective energy conservation technique for commercial buildings: when used correctly, lighting control can reduce energy costs by 25%. Lighting control systems use time and zone controls to turn off lights in any area of a building that is unoccupied, relying on occupancy sensors to indicate when people move from area to area and switching the lights on or off accordingly. A vast range of control is available, from a basic control system for lighting and equipment switching, ideal for use in facilities where time-of-day control is managed from a time clock or centralized building management system, to a fully automatic lighting control that encompasses all of a facility’s lighting circuits. Lighting control is available as a standalone or networked solution, and can be applied to indoor areas such as offices, cubicles, cafeterias, and storage areas as well as outdoor parking lots, garages, walkways, and signs.

Another energy conservation technique for buildings is temperature control. Advanced Control provides industry-leading HVAC technology that can help you increase your building’s energy efficiency and lower your costs. Temperature control lowers energy consumption by accurately monitoring and maintaining specified set points through building automation. Advanced Control’s smart building automation software analyzes energy use to provide energy savings while maintaining the comfort of the inhabitants. It also provides the capacity to receive, store and analyze metering and sensor data provided to optimize and track energy use.

Are you interested in employing these South Florida building energy conservation techniques in your own facility? Contact Advanced Control Corporation today and let one of our experts customize an energy management system for you. We will implement a proven strategy for superior energy management with tools and resources to help you every step of the way.