Energy Management and Controls

Building automation systems—or, if you prefer, energy management systems—were historically designed primarily to control equipment on and off on a scheduled basis and to maintain basic space conditions (typically temperature and sometimes humidity). Over the last couple of decades, building automation systems’ functionality has expanded to include occupancy-based controls, demand-controlled ventilation, monitoring device failure, more sophisticated reset and setback strategies, and many other capabilities. In that same timeframe, exponential growth in computer processing power and data storage capabilities have opened up a wide variety of opportunities to harvest more value from the BAS.

How we can help

GreenerU’s professional energy efficiency engineers can help your institution monitor, control, and optimize building energy consumption by:

• Assessing your buildings’ current conditions, historical energy usage, and additional plans to implement energy savings
• Retro-commissioning HVAC controls systems
• Determining energy savings potential through the installation of or expanding existing building automation and controls
• Installing controls features to lighting, HVAC, hot water, and other automatable systems
• Designing and implementing advanced control strategies and other system enhancements
• Training building operators on energy management software
• Providing ongoing commissioning to ensure the system works as intended

Project experience

GreenerU has worked extensively with clients to develop, install, and train staff on building automation and controls features, including:

• Identifying and repairing failed occupancy-based controls in a LEED Gold laboratory facility and retrocommissioning HVAC controls in several buildings at Clark University
• Customizable controls features for different animals’ environments at the MSPCA
• Installing occupancy-based controls on a distributed heat pump system and isolation valves on water-source heat pumps, enabling variable speed control of a 100-hp distribution pump, at Lesley University
• Replacement of an outdated building automation system with a new DDC system featuring enhanced control sequences at William James College
• Reducing HVAC system energy use by more than 50% through a variety of building automation enhancements and related improvements at Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Goddard Hall laboratory facility

Some of our controls work has also been made possible through funding by previous GreenerU financing programs, which have yielded a new generation of financial instruments, including GreenerMass, Boston Tax-Exempt Lease Program (TELP), and the Benefactor Investment Model. 

Related content

• Enabling their best work: increasing comfort levels of mental health educators and students through financed building improvements
• University of New Haven completes five-year energy program, now seeing $100,000 in annual energy savings ahead
• MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain gets a deep energy retrofit with more than $500,000 in utility incentives

Contact us to talk about installing building automation and controls today.