Many use BMS (building management systems) to control your buildings. BMS is seen a “smart” in that it automates tasks that would need a human to do (such as changing set points, dead bands etc). Artificial Intelligence is best known for self-driving cars and playing chess against grand masters!! So does it have any role to play in managing our building better and saving money?
At OEP, we are already using artificial intelligence in two very real building and energy management applications and seeing £££ financial benefits:
(A) Energy Management. We can take in half-hourly meter data daily (no hardware needs to be installed), and identify patterns that could indicate a developing fault or anomaly, so it can be investigated before it becomes a cost, adjusting for weather and other inputs. The system self-learns and gets better over time at spotting new real issues. We oversee the results with our experienced energy management team, and interact with the customer.
An example benefit we picked up within 24 hours, was a (human) BMS programming error that would have cost £60,000 had it gone undetected, and probably would never have been picked up in the consumption on invoices.
In practice this also helps identify and monitor “behaviour” issues across an estate. For example, we could highlight the differences in working practices between one supermarket and another in how they work with their refrigeration systems.
This is an ideal tool for multi-site operations (retail, restaurants, banks etc) with a rapid payback. It allows over-loaded energy managers to have a proactive management tool, particularly across an estate of meters. We can provide a THREE MONTH FREE TRIAL for businesses to find out if it works for them.
(B) We are also deploying AI to directly to manage the BMS, and even manufacturing processes. The software “learns” how the building or process reacts over time to different load events and climate conditions (creating a “digital twin”) and can develop its own strategies for how to optimise the building to (1) deliver the climate goals consistently and (2) at least energy cost. It can even re-commission the building regularly. Energy saving are typically 25%-40%.
The benefit of using AI is the ability for it to react quickly to changing circumstances, which other systems aren’t able to do. Other applications we are engaged on include compressed air management and refrigeration systems.
If you would like to know more email us at info@on-site.energy or call on 0161 444 9989.
Onsite Energy Projects provides energy savings and energy generation solutions to energy intensive businesses, without capex if required.
