Not all commercial properties are alike. Hotel KPIs are different from residential building KPIs are different from those of a senior residence or student housing. There’s two things, however, that all commercial properties share in common: (1) energy costs are part of their operational overhead, and (2) they all have their peak seasonal usage.
Of course, what peak season is varies from property to property. It could be seasonal tourism, the school year, or simply the summer heat or winter cold. But there will be certain times of year when a property’s energy overhead costs are at their highest.
That doesn’t mean, however, that those peak costs can’t be managed and reduced. Indeed, there are several key energy management practices that all commercial property managers can employ to reduce their operational overhead during peak season, and increase their net revenue.
Smart Thermostats
Since heating and cooling costs are those that fluctuate the most with seasonality, and since heating and cooling energy consumption starts with thermostat settings, smart thermostats are the first place commercial property managers should look to reduce seasonal costs.
Specifically, smart thermostats allow property managers (or their residents or guests) to pre-program climate control settings around their actual occupancy requirement. So while a guest is seeing the sites, a resident is out at work, a stud is in class, thermostat can be programmed to reduce their heating/cooling energy consumption, but re-adjust to their occupants preferences prior to their return. This allows occupants to reduce their carbon footprint, while also reducing energy costs for property managers.
This is why not all smart thermostats are created equal. Whereas consumer-grade brands (such as Nest and Ecobee) are perfectly suitable for single family properties, commercial properties with centralized HVAC systems require commercial-grade smart thermostats that are capable of managing not only multiple units with different occupancy patterns, but common areas, as well.
Integrated Occupancy Sensors
Specifically, commercial grade smart thermostats are not limited simply to pre-programmed settings. Indeed, not all occupants will even consider presetting or configuring their climate control preferences upon arrival.
This is where occupancy sensors come in. Essentially, occupancy sensors allow commercial property managers to respond to real-time fluctuations in occupancy patterns. Indeed, both Verdant’s VX and ZX occupancy sensors integrate seamlessly not only with our smart thermostats, but also with many third-party lighting systems. This reduces energy consumption on multiple fronts.
Smart HVAC Systems
While smart thermostats (such as Verdant’s ZX and VX thermostats), allow property managers (and/or occupants) to reduce energy consumption and costs through pre-programmed settings, they are only the front-end of the energy management equation. Even more important (and effective) is the back-end of energy management — i.e smart HVAC systems.
Specifically, smart HVAC energy management systems integrate alongside smart thermostats, occupancy sensors, and even door/window sensors to reduce their HVAC runtime by up to 40%. In other words, they ensure that any given space is not overheated or overcooled when no one is occupying it.
It’s worth noting, moreover, that smart HVAC systems have the lowest payback/breakeven period of any other energy management technology — with some commercial property managers recouping their investment in as little as 12 months. And that ROI from smart HVAC technology is so significant, in fact, that it increases the resale value of a commercial. Indeed, this energy management technology is already a standard practice in the hotel industry.
Real-Time Demand Management
For instance, the real-time energy management features of HVAC systems extend beyond mere climate control automation. Indeed, the Verdant’s Plus energy management system integrates with smart thermostats and occupancy sensors to aggregate real-time data on occupancy patterns and peak demand loads to optimize energy consumption in the moment.
Predictive Scheduling
Furthermore, smart HVAC systems’ ability to aggregate and analyze data isn’t limited to just real-time occupancy patterns. They also collect a wide range of other datasets, including peak demand load times, historical thermodynamics, and local weather conditions.
This data is then used for predictive scheduling — i.e. fine-tuning preset climate control parameters based on both seasonality, historical thermodynamics, and real-time weather forecasts. The result is that occupants enjoy maximum comfort, while energy overhead costs are significantly redacted for commercial property managers.
Automated Zone Control
Of course, smart HVAC systems are not limited to optimizing just aggregate energy consumption around real-time occupancy patterns and seasonal thermodynamics. They also help property managers segment the different zones/areas of the properties, and automate and optimize the energy consumption of those respective areas based on occupant needs.
For instance, a private occupant unit requires a much more accurate level of comfort than does a common area — such as a lobby or recreation room. By compartmentalizing these areas through a smart HVAC system, property managers can be sure that occupants enjoy maximum comfort in their private units without overly heating/cooling common areas that the majority of occupants use much more sporadically.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Smart thermostats and HVAC systems aren’t the only hardware upgrades that commercial property managers can make invest in to reduce their energy costs and consumption during peak demand times. Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) can also reduce HVAC costs and consumption during peak seasons.
Specifically, ASHPs transfer cold or warm air from outside to the interior, supplementing both HVAC energy grid consumption. In other words, Air Source Heat Pumps reduce HVAC runtimes, and reduce overall energy consumption.
Furthermore, ASHPs can also be employed as energy efficient space heaters or coolers, and help manage energy consumption in areas of a commercial property that are thermodynamically problematic — such as common areas that are poorly insulated, or high-traffic areas.
Smart Energy Efficient Appliances
Of course, energy consumption isn’t limited to HVAC or other climate control systems. Indeed, occupants and staff, alike, also rely on a number of appliances to provide many core essential amenities.
After all, a significant source of energy costs in hotels stems from what’s called “vampire power draw”, also known as standby power. Essentially, standby power refers to the way “electric power is consumed by electronic appliances and equipment when they are switched off, but are still plugged in and on standby mode.
Consequently, many commercial property managers rely on energy efficient appliances to reduce their property’s energy consumption and costs. The most common energy efficient appliances include ENERGY STAR Certified refrigerators and laundry appliances, responsive smart thermostats, high-efficiency air conditioners, and LED lighting.
Demand Response
All this being said, when it comes to energy management, smart thermostats, smart HVAC, and other various appliances are all reactive. However, there are measures that commercial property managers can take that are much more reactive — i.e. curb energy consumption before it becomes a line item on their balance sheet.
Specifically, Demand Response programs allow commercial property managers to receive credits against their energy costs whenever they choose to reduce their consumption during peak demand times.
Through a Demand Response program, commercial managers receive alerts prior to forecasted peak usage ‘events’. And unless they opt-out of that event, their various smart appliances (whether they be HVAC systems, water heaters, etc.) will adjust to draw less energy from the grid during that event
Consequently, commercial property managers can then sell that energy back into the grid. And that revenue can then be applied against their energy bills, reducing their seasonal energy costs.
Optimizing your Commercial Property’s Energy Consumption
Shelter is arguably a basic human need for every man. Woman, and child on this Earth. That being said, there are many forms of shelter that that need might take: caves or huts, turnkey residences, or medium- to long-term accommodations
What’s universal for all those scenarios is that these residential units require basic climate control. More to the point, for those property managers managing these units, energy consumption is their greatest overhead.
That being said, there is no shortage of technologies that property managers can leverage to both (1) reduce energy consumption, and (2) improve the profitability of their properties.