6 Building Automation System Strategies for Summer Savings

Summer heat and humidity require your HVAC system to work harder to maintain a comfortable and productive indoor environment. That extra load on your air conditioning system can also significantly increase your summer energy bills.

Building automation systems (BAS) integrate and automate control of building systems — like HVAC, lighting and security — to enhance efficiency and performance. However, these systems aren’t always used as effectively as they could be. Here are six smart ways you can utilize your BAS to reduce summer energy costs while maintaining comfort.

1. Set Schedules

With a BAS, you can set and adjust cooling system schedules based on building occupancy. Increase building temperatures after hours and on weekends to cut unnecessary energy consumption. For example, you can program systems to increase cooling to comfort levels just before employees arrive and shut off soon after they leave.

2. Reduce Peak Demand

Energy usage spikes during summer can strain the grid and result in higher peak demand charges for many facilities. By employing strategic features, such as load shifting and real-time energy monitoring, you can use BAS to manage energy use more effectively and reduce peak demand.

Load shifting involves moving energy use to off-peak hours. A BAS can make this process seamless by automating energy-intensive systems, such as air conditioning. For example, you can pre-cool the building during off-peak hours and minimize cooling during peak times.

Real-time energy monitoring allows you to track energy consumption as it happens. A BAS with advanced analytics can identify patterns and predict peak demand periods. Using this data, you can make adjustments to reduce energy use during peak times.

3. Balance Temperature Set Points

You can set temperature ranges that balance comfort and productivity with energy efficiency. Raising the indoor temperature by just one degree during peak summer hours can reduce energy consumption significantly. Use the BAS to automate such settings building-wide and keep them in place.

4. Control Solar Heat Gain

Solar heat gain through windows can make your air-conditioning system work harder to keep things cool. BAS can integrate with motorized shades or blinds to reduce solar heat gain. Program shades to close during peak sunlight hours and reopen in the evening for natural cooling, reducing the load on your air-conditioning system.

5. Implement Demand Control Ventilation

Demand control ventilation (DCV) uses sensors and controls to adjust the amount of fresh air brought into a building based on occupancy levels or indoor air quality metrics. BAS can optimize DCV by integrating occupancy and air quality sensors to dynamically adjust ventilation rates in real time, ensuring energy efficiency while maintaining optimal indoor air quality levels.

6. Monitor and Maintain System Performance

While annual inspections are important, ongoing maintenance is critical to optimizing cooling system efficiency and performance. BAS can monitor system performance in real-time and alert you to any equipment issues that can compromise system performance and increase energy use, such as malfunctioning compressors or dirty air filters. You can save money and potential system downtime by proactively responding to such alerts and quickly fixing issues before they become costly problems.

By taking advantage of the advanced capabilities of BAS, you can optimize cooling system performance and better manage energy use all summer long.