Smart grids need smarter buildings

The latest buzzword in the utilities sector is the ‘smart grid’, which presents a major opportunity for buildings to become even smarter.

Johnson Controls vice-president: global energy and sustainability Clay G. Nesler explains that the smart grid “is simply an upgraded electrical distribution system allowing it to accommodate more renewable energy and intermittent sources of energy. The grid has to be ‘smart’ enough to be able to accommodate more variable sources of energy, such as when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow.

“It also superimposes information over the electrical grid, so it is kind of like a meshing of the Internet with the electrical grid, so the utilities and providers of energy can send information to buildings, and buildings can send information back. The idea is that buildings will then be able to use less energy, and the system as a whole will be more efficient.

“Most of the focus and investment has been on the utilities side in terms of the automation of the generation, distribution and transmission of electricity. We believe the greatest opportunity is actually on the building side. In fact, there will not be a smart grid until there are smart buildings connected to it,” says Nesler.

A major trend in this regard is tenant energy management, such as the system that Johnson Controls is pioneering at the Empire State Building refurbishment project in New York in the US. “Every floor is going to be sub-metered for electricity; in fact, individual tenants can opt for an energy meter for their own use, and every tenant is going to get their own Web site.

Track energy use

“Thus you will be able to see the energy use of your space, updated in real-time every 15 minutes. That is going to allow you to track your energy use better, which is going to allow you to do things like turn off the lights when needed and select better computers that use less energy, for example.

“It is going to allow you to compare your energy use with others in the building. We think that will create some challenges, perhaps a little competition, to drive the energy use down. Just providing that information reinforces the energy efficiency drive. We think this technology has great potential to further reduce energy in buildings through getting the occupants involved,” says Nesler.

This sophisticated monitoring of energy use leads to even more exciting possibilities on the utilities front. “One of the capabilities we hope to develop is where a utility can supply the price of electricity over time. Dubai has a single electricity tariff. There is a lot of discussion about going to a dual tariff, where in fact there would be a different price during peak times, which would be higher than off-peak.

“Within the US there are a lot of trials related to this, and a few utilities which actually change the price of electricity every hour. That price matches the cost of generation and allows building owners, tenants and home owners to react to that increased price of electricity,” says Nesler.

Long way to go

However, Dubai is still a long way from such sophisticated energy management technology. Here the trend towards sustainability and green building is just starting to take hold, while the integration of smart grids with the general building infrastructure is still a long way into the future. This does not mean though that the relevance of such trends can be overlooked or even dismissed.

“When we look at issues like climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, some of the studies suggest that the number one abatement strategy is to tackle energy consumption of buildings. Number two is energy consumption in transportation. Building efficiency is a $14 billion business for Johnson Controls globally.

“That breaks down into a number of segments we have identified around this technology – products, control systems, the equipment that goes into new buildings, retrofitting and service. We have 16 000 mechanics and technicians around the world ensuring that buildings, once they are built, are being operated effectively and efficiently.

“Then we have a workplace solutions business that carries out FM activities. We actually run and directly operate and manage 1.5 billion square feet of space for our clients. If you look at our systems, technology and services businesses overall, we touch another 20 billion square feet of space in commercial, industrial and institutional buildings,” says Nesler.

Understanding buildings

“What that means is we really understand buildings: from design to construction and operation, we know what it takes to make buildings efficient. And one of the things we focus on as we look at the lifecycle is we have dialogues with our clients and the construction community. What people are becoming more and more attuned to is that spending an extra dollar on energy efficiency when designing a building will deliver at least US$18 throughout the lifecycle.

“So one of the comments or perspectives we share with our customers and the market in general is that not only is it environmentally irresponsible to build an inefficient building, it is actually economically and physically irresponsible … and that energy efficiency needs to be designed into a new building and every major retrofit of a building that occurs,” says Nesler.

“When we look at solutions, we talk about being engaged from the design phase onwards. One of the things differentiating our company is we do not just help our clients with the design, we actually help them with the build, or the actual renovation or retrofit activity undertaken. We execute those projects directly in relation to the technology systems going into the buildings; we maintain them over time; and because we do all of that, we actually put our balance sheet behind it and we guarantee savings.”

Thus building efficiency is a major driver of both technological innovation and sustainable development. So where does Dubai fit into the overall picture? “I do feel Dubai is a little bit behind, compared to many other Western countries where energy efficiency is promoted constantly. There you feel guilty if you leave the lights on or have not done your recycling. The question is how do we progress to such a mindset?” says RWN Trading marketing director Carol Prince.

Prince says part of the problem is that the marketplace has been flooded with a plethora of products of increasing sophistication and functionality, leaving the end user with a bewildering choice of systems. Competing technologies also raise the issue of cost-effectiveness, as the general perception is that building efficiency is a costly business.

“What a lot of companies are not aware of is that you can just do one room at a time. A developer might say to us it is impossible to retrofit 300 rooms at a time, for example. We say approach it simply – introduce the new technology as one tenant leaves and before the next moves in.” Prince says that RWN Trading is engaged in a major contract involving a 1 000-bed hotel, where it has installed a mock-up room in order to obtain real-time energy-efficiency data.

“Now that Sheikh Mohammad is really behind sustainability, people will start to take it more seriously. Combined with such major global platforms as the Copenhagen Climate Conference, it has really begun to enter people’s psyches. We have been in business for three years, but have never had as many automation and control enquiries as we have had since January this year,” says Prince.

Predicated on its philosophy of user-friendly, cost-effective technology, RWN Trading has launched Zity, which regulates lighting, air-con, heating and security from a single interface. “At the simplest level, this means replacing ordinary light switches with smart wireless ones. The intelligence is built in. Most systems are very complicated. This is a simple and low-cost installation. It is also very easy to adapt according to changing needs, without the services of an IT professional,” says Prince.

Technology benchmark

What this means is that the Middle East has become an interesting benchmark for new technology, to the extent that major companies are seeking to gain a toehold as the green revolution takes hold. One such company is Leviton of the US. “Coming into this market, I would say 70% of our product line has to be redeveloped or re-engineered for form factor and voltages, etc. “The good news is that our integrated network solutions are universally accepted.

“Therefore this represents our first endeavour in the Middle East, and it is doing phenomenally well. We are now looking to bringing lighting controls and energy management product to this part of the world,” says Leviton US vice-president: lighting management systems Richard Westfall.

“We have a tremendous investment in new-technology products. We have just come out with a complete control system, including occupancy sensing and vacancy sensing, that is totally ‘peel-and-stick’. So there is no wiring; you use your existing wiring, which cuts down on labour, materials and energy consumption. What we are really proud of is that we are the first to commercialise such wireless, self-powered, no-battery technology,” says Westfall. The company introduced its latest innovation at Middle East Electricity.

“This is only our second year in the Middle East, so visibility and getting our name out in the industry is very important to us. We have come here, I guess you would say, a little late … but we want to take 104 years of brand recognition and leadership in North America and bring it to the rest of the world. That is our ultimate goal.”

Next major light source

Commenting on other trends, Westfall says that “LED, of course, has become what we feel is going to be the next major light source in the industry. But when this will happen is the wild card. Is it in three years’, or maybe five years’ time? Right now it is too expensive for the lumens it allows, but each year it is becoming more effective and efficient, so it is just a matter of time.”

The potential cost of refurbishment is also a critical bottom-line issue. “Sometimes the energy management product installation is very costly and inefficient because we have to start tearing into walls to install wiring and sensors.” This is where Leviton’s latest product comes into play. “It is a wireless, battery-less occupancy sensor. It comprises a PV cell that uses the energy of the light present in the room to charge the sensor, which has a wireless connection to a remote switch. The mechanical action of pressing the button is what powers the switch,” says Westfall.

Yet another global energy management specialist targeting the Middle East market is Schneider Electric. Its latest innovation is Wiser Home Control, launched by Clipsal Middle East, an integrated home control solution that interlinks electrical, multimedia and telecoms in a single user-friendly solution. “Being eco-friendly is not just about saving energy, but optimising the use of energy. This is a whole new way of approaching environmental awareness and sustainability,” says Schneider Electric Gulf countries president John Griffiths.

“Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management, with solutions that enable 30% energy savings without compromising on comfort, performance and reliability. We are committed to helping individuals and organisations make the most of their energy, and hence the launch of Wiser Home Control. We have seen tremendous interest from real-estate developers and installers for a solution that can adapt to lifestyles and work practices, and reduce energy use,” says Griffiths.