by Brianna Crandall — November 4, 2015—Of note to higher education facilities managers, energy management software company BuildingIQ recently announced that its energy management software was selected for and is now being deployed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); California State University, Long Beach (CSULB); Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama; the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg; and the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Derek Johnson, vice president, Client Services Delivery and Support, BuildingIQ, noted about UCLA in particular:
UCLA has very high objectives in terms of sustainability and cost savings, and we are well on track to meet and even surpass them. Our solution was implemented in two of UCLA’s student union buildings. It’s rare to find a time when students and faculty aren’t utilizing the buildings’ numerous study lounges, reading rooms, office spaces, or eateries. Despite this constant activity, we have a great opportunity to deliver substantial savings to this client.
For each building, BuildingIQ’s Predictive Energy Optimization (PEO) software works with the existing building management system (BMS) to create a custom thermal model that can predict energy consumption, cost, and comfort based on building characteristics, weather forecasts and energy pricing, and even receive signals from the utility. The platform then determines the optimal HVAC operating strategy for the next 24 hours, making real-time adjustments based on changing conditions.
BuildingIQ’s solution also enables each campus to participate in demand response (DR) programs, if offered by the local utility. For instance, the University of South Florida has collaborated with its local utility, Duke Energy, to set up an energy efficiency and demand response pilot. This will allow the USF team to create cost savings and reduce the campus’ energy consumption when the power grid is stressed by using BuildingIQ’s platform to automatically participate in DR events initiated by the utility.
Michael Nark, CEO, BuildingIQ, explained:
BuildingIQ is offered on a subscription basis with no upfront capital, making it easier for educational institutions to adhere to very strict budgets and generate savings. Our platform is also able to adapt to numerous types of spaces with different functions and occupancy patterns. This level of versatility makes the solution ideal for education campuses, allowing them to deploy a single solution across classrooms, lecture halls, student unions, food courts, auditoriums, and office spaces.
