A Scalable Approach to Energy Improvements Using Energy Management and Control Systems

Abstract

Energy management and control systems (EMCS) for the commercial building sector have undergone dramatic changes over the last decades. Nevertheless, they provide inadequate assistance to owners and operators when it comes to managing energy. Their prime focus has always been managing equipment, rather than managing overall building performance. With a renewed national and international focus on building energy consumption, and ambitious targets set by various governmental agencies, systems now have to shift from managing equipment to the much larger picture of providing a useful tool in the context of managing a national energy policy. This article aims to illustrate some of the challenges faced by the engineering, construction, and building operator community when it comes to meeting new state and federal guidelines on energy efficiency.