Brice Kosnik, CEO of BuildPulse, discusses the importance of utilizing analytics to enhance building operations through improved efficiency, reduced complaints, and operational savings. The document outlines common issues in building commissioning, methods for data-driven operational improvements, and the benefits of automation in maintenance and troubleshooting. Additionally, it emphasizes the role of analytics in fostering productive stakeholder conversations and ensuring knowledge retention in facility management.

1. Brice Kosnik – CEO
buildpulse
Utilizing Analytics to Drive Change in
Buildings

2. Benefits of Analytics
buildpulse
Prioritizing Service
Improving Operational Efficiency
Reducing Complaints
Retaining Knowledge
Implementing Best Practices

3. Identifying & Fixing Issues
Changing Operational Practices
Driving Conversation with Stakeholders
Ways to use data
buildpulse

4. How we do it today.

5. • Graphics
• Alarms
• Trends
buildpulse
Basic Analytics

6. How long does it take to?
• Test Every Sensor, Valve,
Damper, & Relay
• 90 buildings
• 2 Dedicated Techs
buildpulse
Basic Analytics

7. buildpulse
Basic Analytics
• Answer
40
buildings / year

8. Common Issues Found in Commissioning
buildpulse
Top 12 Issues
1. HVAC system operates continuously during unoccupied
period
2. Lighting system illuminating space during unoccupied
period
3. HVAC system improperly balanced
4. Improper refrigerant charge
5. Economizer dampers operating incorrectly
6. Insufficient evaporator airflow
7. Improper controls setup
8. Control component failure or degradation
9. Software programming errors
10. Improper controls hardware installation
11. Air-cooled condenser fouling
12. Valve leakage
• Setpoints
• Scheduling
• Sequences
Reference: PNNL - A Guide to Building Commissioning
Foundation

9. Analytics automates the manual processes and audits
that we don’t have time for.
4 Man Years Or 5 Minutes
Its About Automation
buildpulse
Manual Inspection still requires verification

10. buildpulse
Building Efficiency Overtime

11. Energy Savings

12. Setpoint Analysis
Night High Limit
Room Cooling SP
Room Heating SP
Night Low Limit
K-12 School District – 2 HS 1 MS 1 ES - Sample 345 Classroomsbuildpulse
Setpoint Analysis

13. VAV Sequence Refresher
Control of a VAV reheat terminal to vary airflow during heating
ASHRAE High Performance VAV Systems, ASHRAE Journal Oct 2011, John Murphy
buildpulse
VAV Sequence Refresh

14. Actual VAV Performance
Data Taken From typical Reheat VAV – City Building
Discharge Air Temperature
Room Temperature
Reheat Valve
Room Heating SP
Room Cooling SP
buildpulse
VAV Actual Performance

15. Schedule to Actual Occupancy
Start up each Zone individually so that it reaches
Heating or Cooling Setpoints at Occupancy
Adjust Heating and Cooling Setpoints so that all
zones have 0 heating or cooling load at
UnOccupied.
buildpulse
Schedules Optimal Start / Stop

16. University Lecture Hall
Optimal Start w/ Staging
1 AHU & Exhaust Fans Running All Nightbuildpulse
University Lecture Hall

17. Ineffective Optimal Start
Cooling Setpoint
Fan Command
Room Temperature
Discharge Air Temperature
Optimal Start Cooling with no Cooling available
buildpulse
Ineffective Optimal Start

18. Office Building
No Optimal Start Stop
Ventilating during Unoccupied
buildpulse
Office Building

19. Temperature
Set Point Policy
10-15%
Deadband
Temperature
Policy
3-5%
Night / Weekend
Set Point &
Schedules
5-10%
Water Air
Static Pressure
Resets
2-5%
2500 kWh/ Year / 1000 SqFt
buildpulse
Energy Savings

20. Other Examples
• Temperature Resets
• Pressure Resets
• 24 Hour Operation
• Chilled & Hot Water Plant operation
• Simultaneous heating and cooling
• Economizer Analysis
• High Low Discharge Air Temperature
buildpulse
Other areas – most teams don’t get to.

21. Operational Improvements

22. Operational Savings
Automatic
Calibration
Reduced
Tenant
Complaints
Faster
Troubleshooting
On-Going Cx
buildpulse
Operational Savings

23. Automatic Calibration
• Adjust Setpoints
• Predictive Weather controls
• Load Shedding
buildpulse
Automatic Calibration

24. Faster Troubleshooting
Should:
Provide Associated
Data, Problem &
Solution
Should Not:
Require you to dig
through data
buildpulse
Faster Trouble Shooting

25. On-Going Cx Prioritize Service
Should:
Apply Cost and ROI
to Prioritize Faults
and Issues
Prevent Drift
Should Not:
Overwhelm you
with information
buildpulse
Ongoing Cx - Prioritizes Service

26. Reduced Tenant Complaints
• Less Task Switching
• Proactive Service
buildpulse
Reduce Tennant complaints

27. Operational Savings
Result
3 Hours / Year / 1000 SqFt
buildpulse
Operational Savings

28. Security

29. Other Benefits
Security
(Cloud)
Consultants and Contractors have
access to data without needing
access to your network
Data Historian
(Cloud Local)
All data should be archived regardless
of Configured Trends
REST API
(Cloud)
Open & Secure data sharing with
other platforms and Analysis Tools
Energy Star Utilities
(Cloud)
Aggregation of Energy Star, Utility
Interval Data
buildpulse
“Cloud” Advantages

30. Driving Change

31. Reduced Tenant Complaints
1-3% utility savings per year for every degree
of deadband implemented.
Clear reporting of time series temperature
analysis, policy, and best practices, results in
positive and productive conversation.
buildpulse
Comfort

32. Reduced Tenant Complaints
buildpulse
Policy Conversations
Design & Operate, for “Off”
Shutting down equipment in swing seasons
can save a lot of energy. But it can be hard to
quantify and it will result is discomfort.
Analytics quantifies the savings and enables
the conversation to drive policy change.

33. Reduced Tenant Complaints
buildpulse
Habits and M&V
Did it get Fixed? Is it performing how we
thought it would?
Automate Verification

34. Reduced Tenant Complaints
buildpulse
Capture Knowledge
Facility Engineers know their building. How do
we prevent their knowledge from retiring with
them?
Enable low friction methods of capture,
alignment, and storage.

35. Brice Kosnik – CEO
buildpulse
available online
brice.kosnik@buildpulse.com
Utilizing Analytics to Drive Change in
Buildings

36. Zone Deadband
Setpoints & Deadbands
Zone Heating
Zone Cooling
74 DegF
68 DegF
buildpulse
Setpoints & Deadbands

37. Night High Low Limit
UnOcc Deadband
UnOcc Heating
UnOcc Cooling78 DegF
58 DegF
buildpulse
Night High / Low Limits