Smart Building Blog

Of all the COVID-19 mitigation strategies recommended for school building operations, perhaps none are more important than proper ventilation. That’s why a June 2020 study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is revealing for schools looking to follow expert guidelines on ventilation during a pandemic this 2020-21 school year. 

Benchmarking has been a topic of interest and discussion for a long time now. In this blog, we look at what is benchmarking and why it necessary to achieve results. This is part one of our deep-dive into benchmarking. Stay tuned for the next one where we look at how to benchmark for building efficiency!

On September 23rd, the local chapters of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) hosted the 2019 Minnesota Energy Expo at the Radisson Blu - Mall of America in Bloomington. 13 session speakers took the stage, including a few from 75F, to speak about energy best practices in commercial buildings and the future of building automation.

So grab a bag of popcorn, a notebook, and a pen, and enjoy a couple shortened versions of our sessions!

Do people in your building complain about temperatures at their desk? Are you constantly trying to figure out where, why and how your HVAC system is making them uncomfortable? We have designed the 75F® DUMstat™ to put those questions to rest – permanently. Don't be fooled by the name: the DUMstat is at the top of its class.

The system is simple to install and data starts streaming in immediately. Just plug it in and walk away.

Re-lamping and LED retrofit projects are popular methods for reducing energy costs. Re-lamping can be an effective source of energy savings – but there are even larger opportunities you may not have considered. Recent advances in cloud computing technology means that an automated lighting system offers larger savings opportunities and an even shorter ROI than re-lamping or LED retrofits. Plus, smart lighting systems offer benefits like meeting WELL building standards for a greener, healthier building.

Our Advanced Lighting system considers local weather, building orientation and geography, and occupancy status to adjust the lights, ensuring that no energy is wasted. Our interconnected system also ensures you're never left in the dark – and we offer remote scheduling and control, too. 

Restaurants are the most energy intensive commercial buildings in the United States, according to the Energy Information Administration, and they consume nearly three times the energy of the average commercial building per square foot. Special equipment, lengthy hours, and sheer demand create much of this consumption.

In addition to their costly energy consumption, restaurants are particularly prone to building pressure imbalances. A building pressure imbalance – either negative or positive – often manifests itself as difficult-to-open doors. If building pressure stays out of balance, restaurant buildings can suffer from a number of other symptoms, including trouble maintaining room temperatures, underperforming kitchen hoods, odors due to infiltration, back drafting water heaters (look for moisture, corrosion or melted plastic on top of the top of the heater), and condensation dripping from ceiling diffusers.

Here are some ways a smart building automation system can diagnose, solve, and prevent issues like pressure and temperature imbalances in restaurant buildings – while reducing energy bills by up to 50% in the process.