Remote Building Analytics is More Important Than Ever
Insights by Corey Ferguson, Certified Energy Manager | Optimization Engineer | Key2Act
Efficiency is always good when it comes to maintenance and repairs of building energy systems, but it became especially critical in 2020. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing became a necessity. To reduce the risk of virus exposure, essential building work needed to be completed as quickly as possible.
As a result, remote building analytics is more important than ever. This article shines the spotlight on building energy systems maintenance and repairs in the current global landscape.
A Diagnostics Dilemma
At the time of writing, it appears it will still be many months before the pandemic is over. That means it will continue to be vital that building technicians are only on-site when necessary and that they can get their work done quickly. Having a low-touch experience promotes safety and confidence for tenants, facilities managers, and the techs themselves.
Two big issues stand in the way:
· Lack of building fault detection and diagnostics data
· Inability to interpret available data and properly act
With either circumstance, wasted time is a concern. When service techs arrive on-site, it may take them a while to determine what the issue is and where it is located. Then, they’ll need to gather all the equipment and tools necessary to make repairs. And that’s a best-case scenario.
The tech may waste a trip because they don’t have the information or equipment available to properly diagnose and fix the problem at that time. Or, it may be determined that the tech wasn’t the right person to send in the first place, in which case more time and money are wasted getting the correct person on-site.
During the time of COVID-19 especially, the goal should be to send the right person with the right information from the get-go. They should only enter a building if necessary. And if they do have to enter, they should get in and out quickly.
How Remote Building Analytics Can Help
Remote building analytics provides building fault detection and diagnostics — actionable data that enables efficient issue resolution with little to no human interaction required.
The keyword is “actionable.” Some systems provide mounds of data that are difficult to understand and can only reactively alert users to a major issue. Other systems built with building optimization in mind, however, can identify trends and allow users to proactively address small issues before they become big ones. They also present the data in a way that’s easy to understand so proper action plans can be initiated immediately.
Major benefits also include automated advanced communications and service request management. When a fault is detected or a trend is going in the wrong direction, an alert is sent to a designated person informing them of the issue. An automated service request is also sent to an appropriate tech with the details they need to solve the problem quickly.
For this reason, remote building analytics should be a mainstay not just until the pandemic is over, but beyond.
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About the Author
Corey Ferguson, Certified Energy Manager | Optimization Engineer | Key2Act
10+ Year Advising in Energy Services/Performance Contracting
· Advising customers on Energy Services/Performance Contracting projects and developing Energy Conservation Measures (ECM’s) for the past 10 years.
· Hands-on experience implementing and measuring the impact ECM’s by applying reporting and analytics insights for energy projects.
· Six years in the trenches of turning analytics into action for energy projects and managing maintenance projects.
· Passionate at finding energy and maintenance saving opportunities for building improvements.