Our buildings are constantly churning out data, most of which will never be used or indeed even looked at. The key is knowing the difference between big data and smart data and the power which data analytics can have in unlocking energy savings hidden in your building – all of which can contribute to achieving MEES.
Big data refers to your digital footprint, such as making transactions on your tablet or using GPS on your mobile phone. It basically consists of a long list of numbers which have been collected over time. However, these numbers cannot be used to facilitate change alone since they make no real sense.
To successfully achieve optimum energy efficiency, it is important to think and act ‘smart’, especially as commercial buildings are becoming more and more sophisticated.
By taking big data and converting it into smart data, through ongoing analysis and interpretation, the data becomes actionable. This can be used to pinpoint peaks and troughs in energy consumption, such as the number of offices with lights left on after 5pm, or knowing how often meetings rooms are used on a particular day.
Smart data enables building owners and managers to make informed decisions to reduce energy usage in a building and unlock potential savings. By using smart data and data analytics, control strategies can be determined in a building to ensure that air conditioning is turned off at the weekend, for example, or that lighting is automatically turned off when occupants leave a room.
Furthermore, underperforming plant can be identified or equipment failures predicted, saving valuable time and additional maintenance costs. This goes a long way towards reducing energy waste, which greatly assists in meeting the requirements of MEES.
Matt Gardner, business development manager for Synapsys Solutions, said: “The beauty of smart data is that it enables building owners and managers to make informed decisions and reliable predictions about your building over the long-term. Smart data and data analytics are key to a successful energy saving strategy and meeting MEES legislation.”