US-based building intelligence technology company R-Zero has enhanced its building platform with Continuous Building Savings, a subscription service that detects operational adjustments to help lower energy expenses in commercial buildings.
The new offering integrates with an existing building management system (BMS) that monitors and controls systems such as heating, cooling and ventilation. It analyses heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) operation, occupancy patterns, environmental conditions and equipment performance.
It assesses operational problems for their energy and financial impact, prioritising those with the greatest potential savings. The software also estimates the cost of each correction.
Until now, R-Zero’s platform has used real-time occupancy data to adjust outside-air ventilation. Continuous Building Savings extends its scope to other operational inefficiencies across a building.
Earlier this year, R-Zero expanded Prospector AI, which identifies potential energy savings across commercial properties, to the 20 largest US metropolitan areas and introduced room-level utilisation data via Room Intelligence.
In June, the company reported a 30% reduction in HVAC energy use at a 521,000 sq ft facility operated by a nationally ranked children’s hospital system. The result was measured against a pre-project baseline using the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol, a framework for measuring and verifying energy savings.
Software targets savings without major building upgrades
Continuous Building Savings targets commercial buildings that already have a BMS. It can connect to BACnet-enabled systems regardless of the automation system provider. BACnet is a communications protocol that allows building automation and control systems to exchange data.
The service uses existing building infrastructure, so you don’t need to replace equipment to deploy it.
For each issue it finds, the software provides the supporting equipment data and an estimate of the savings and correction cost. Changes can involve settings, operating schedules or control sequences that a building engineer or contractor can implement. R-Zero said some require little or no additional expenditure.
Where the available data is insufficient to confirm a problem, the software identifies what additional instrumentation is needed.
Software responds to changing building use
Occupancy patterns and tenant schedules can shift over time, and equipment performance can deteriorate. Operating schedules set earlier may no longer suit how a building is used.
R-Zero maintains an up-to-date model of how each building behaves, enabling the software to identify inefficiencies as conditions change. The company already uses the same model for automated ventilation control on its platform.
Recommendations draw on standards and guidelines from ASHRAE, an international technical organisation that develops standards for building systems. The guidance covers building controls, energy efficiency, ventilation, indoor air quality and monitoring of building energy performance.
R-Zero said that correcting operational inefficiencies can also reduce maintenance requirements and occupant complaints when problems affect equipment operation or indoor conditions. Continuous Building Savings is available as a subscription service. Customers can start seeing measurable savings within months. The software continues to monitor for inefficiencies as building use and operating conditions change.
