The ever-rising costs of owning and managing properties require close attention to every detail—especially energy use. But having watchful eyes means more than seeing things happen and then responding. Optimizing your systems requires taking actions often well before visible problems arise. And that starts with knowing where to look for opportunities to get ahead of the game.
With so much at stake, it’s surprising how the missed opportunities for energy savings continue to add up. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), improved energy efficiency in multi-family properties could save $3.4 billion in utility costs. With about 32% of their total energy use going just for heating and cooling the physical space, U.S. commercial buildings offer many chances to save as well.
Of course, the benefits of energy management extend far beyond the bottom line. Efficiency also helps mitigate climate change and conserve resources, while fostering a more sustainable and resilient energy future for us all. These four tips will help you reach that future:
- Minimize VIP Mode
- Maximize Regular Maintenance
- Analyze Energy Reports
- Customize Comfort Profiles
Minimize VIP Mode
Occupancy detection is a critical tool for reducing energy waste. Sensors detect when someone is present in the room. When an empty room is sensed, the temperature can be adjusted to a more energy efficient setting. The temperature goes back to its previous setting automatically when the guest returns. These little temperature adjustments can produce big results.
In a Santa Clara University study, researchers were able to quantify the impact occupancy detection has on energy savings, documenting savings up to 34%—without causing any discomfort to those occupying the physical space.
Interestingly, though occupancy detection does a good job saving energy, social media has been encouraging guests to override the systems. Step-by-step instructions for “hacking” the thermostat—switching it to VIP Mode and turning off the occupancy detection—proliferate online. And that can cost you money.
Fortunately, travelers are increasingly lodging with sustainability in mind. In a 2020 survey almost half of all respondents felt it was important to choose eco-friendly travel options. This trend is sure to grow as the latest generation of travelers takes to the road.
The big takeaway is that while travelers are increasingly savvy about the technology at use in their rooms, they are also increasingly likely to comply. Hoteliers and other building owners are encouraged to actively minimize the use of VIP settings that override occupancy detection. Talk to your staff about minimizing VIP mode. Your guests will ultimately appreciate it.
Maximize Regular Maintenance
One thing staff may not like talking about is HVAC maintenance. Sure, it feels like a worn-out lecture, but it’s true: There is nothing more important to keeping your systems healthy than regular maintenance. And much like keeping your own body in physical shape, it takes consistency and dedication to see results.
But the effort really matters. The largest consumer of energy in most buildings is the HVAC system. Depending on where in the world a building lives, that HVAC can be running 2,000 hours a year or more. All that mechanical work requires some regular attention and aftercare to keep it strong and efficient. That’s the secret to controlling costs.
Controlling costs by optimizing daily HVAC performance starts with turning up the heat on your regular maintenance routine. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that organizations can save 5-20% annually on energy bills simply by following O&M best practices for preventative maintenance.
Despite this information, many building managers still need to be reminded to change their system’s air filters. It’s a shame, too, because more than wasted energy and lost savings are at stake. The very wellness of a building is tied directly to the quality of its indoor air and the effectiveness of its HVAC systems.
Verdant Plus is a subscription-based service delivering automated Savings Alerts and email notifications essential to improving energy efficiency and conservation in your properties. The timing, cadence and content of these alerts are engineered to trigger action. Your staff will receive critical notifications anytime a property is not effectively conserving energy, including:
- Savings Alert emails sent to property staff
- Escalation emails sent to property owners
- Monthly HVAC energy savings summary report
All alerts include a process of escalation to ensure critical issues receive timely attention. Savings Alerts are sent to staff up to five times. Then the issue is escalated with emails to key decision-makers. This helps property owners maintain consistent savings month after month. They can even track them on their Verdant energy reports.
Verdant Plus provides the peace-of-mind and situational awareness you need to keep everything running properly. We solve the energy challenges property owners face by monitoring both the operations (gateway offline and active alerts) and the savings metrics (Low EMS ON percentage). Whatever your portfolio of properties, this balanced approach ensures that you are actively saving energy.
Analyze Energy Reports
Energy management has become increasingly data driven. Good data helps building operators make good decisions. However, that information must be reviewed and analyzed before appropriate action can be taken.
Minor HVAC issues that go unnoticed usually grow into something worse, and that affects your business. Tenants that feel too hot or cold are often the loudest voices in a building, accounting for as much as 14.2% of all problems reported in rental properties. That number adds growing instability to multi-family buildings already experiencing retention rates at around just 56.3%. Turnover costs for things like missed rent and required repairs make the situation even more painful.
Of course, most HVAC surprises can be avoided when your Verdant energy reports are well-analyzed by the team. Now maintenance needs can be anticipated and proactively met. System issues can be identified and promptly addressed. Occupancy rates can stabilize. All it takes is being smart with your energy reports:
- Set actionable energy usage targets
- Track actual performance
- Pinpoint areas of inefficiency
- Implement proactive, energy-saving solutions
This is predictive maintenance done right. With Verdant Plus, multifamily operators can leverage sensor data to anticipate and identify maintenance issues before they become costly and disruptive. You can receive diagnostic alerts whenever systems aren’t performing within expected parameters. That means your maintenance staff can identify, diagnose and address malfunctions before they drive up energy costs or create a critical equipment failure.
And best of all, your tenants’ comfort—and satisfaction—stays maintained as well.
Customize Comfort Profiles
Comfort is a funny thing. The same porridge is cold for some, hot for others and just right for the lucky few. From a business point of view, temperature is a more serious matter. It seems everyone is looking for the “perfect” thermostat setting.
There’s a lot of money driving the search. According to Energy Star®, energy costs own the largest portion of the yearly operating budgets for hotels and motels. The EPA estimates that reducing energy use by 10% would be equal to increasing the average room rate by $1.35 in full-service hotels.
But in truth there is no perfect temperature setting. Really, it is all about balance. Balance is best created by dividing spaces into zones that can be better controlled for both comfort and energy efficiency.
Interior design researchers study the impact of human activity upon a space. They, too, have seen how individual rooms, common areas and even entire floors can have their own unique, ever-changing temperature challenges. Verdant allows you to turn these spaces into independent zones—each with a custom temperature profile that you control. That includes reducing temperature settings when areas are not in use. So put those custom profiles to work for you:
- Choose from preset comfort profiles
- Customize the presets as desired to meet specific goals
- Use setpoints to maintain consistent comfort
- Monitor activity with occupancy detection
- Make adjustments by remote control
Verdant custom profiles can help you achieve up to 20% savings on energy costs by reducing HVAC runtime by an average of 40%. And that’s a good way for your building to score big.
What’s Your 1-100 Energy Star Score?
The 1-100 Energy Star Score provides benchmarks so you can know how your buildings are doing compared to other buildings like it across the country. It’s free. It’s useful. And it’s right here.