Reducing summer energy waste in commercial buildings: How building managers can take control
Summer brings a unique set of energy management challenges to commercial buildings. As temperatures climb, demand for cooling systems grows just as many office workers go on annual leave.
This mismatch of rising energy demand and falling occupancy is further complicated by the continued shift to hybrid working patterns. According to Remit Consulting, UK office occupancy recently peaked at just 37.8% - the highest since the pandemic, but still far below pre-Covid levels.
The result is a challenging energy management situation that can lead to unnecessary energy use, resulting in higher operational costs and missed opportunities to reduce carbon emissions.
Cura Energy’s Energy Monitoring Solutions (EMS) can help. Our EMS offer the tools building managers need to take control of these challenges and reduce waste. At the core is LiveEye - a real-time energy monitoring platform that gives full visibility across a building’s energy use, right down to individual systems or zones.
Why summer poses an energy management challenge
Numerous energy inefficiencies in commercial buildings can be exacerbated during the summer months. These include air conditioning running in unoccupied zones; lights left on in empty rooms; and water heating systems operating unnecessarily.
These issues are often caused by rigid building controls that fail to adjust to real-time occupancy. HVAC systems can face heightened strain from continuous cooling demands, leading to increased wear, higher maintenance costs and a reduced system lifespan.
Real-time energy data enables precision energy management
Building managers need continuous visibility into how, where and when energy is being used to manage energy effectively and efficiently. This is where Cura Energy’s EMS, including LiveEye, provide an advantage.
LiveEye enables real-time monitoring of consumption patterns across an estate, with granular insights by building, zone, asset or time period. It captures and analyses key variables such as occupancy trends, external weather conditions and equipment performance. These insights enable facilities management teams to:
- Adjust HVAC operation based on actual usage
- Identify and eliminate anomalies or excessive energy use
- Monitor performance of renewable assets and battery storage
- Validate the impact of energy-saving initiatives using IPMVP-compliant methods
From data to actionable insights
LiveEye transforms data into actionable insights. The platform continuously tracks energy consumption by zone, asset, or time period, while also factoring in external variables such as weather conditions and historical usage trends. It identifies anomalies and unexpected surges and provides real-time monitoring of renewable energy system performance.
These insights empower building managers to optimise operations, align systems with actual usage patterns, and ensure that summer energy demand is driven by real need rather than default settings.
Importantly, LiveEye also includes access to Cura Energy’s Virtual Energy Manager which provides support in managing this data. The Virtual Energy Manager interprets trends, uncovers savings opportunities, and delivers tailored recommendations - all as part of our comprehensive turnkey Energy Management System.
Delivering energy savings, without adding to workloads
LiveEye has the ability to deliver real savings without adding to building managers’ workload. Alerts can be configured to flag unusual activity automatically, meaning your team doesn’t have to watch dashboards around the clock. You can verify the ROI of your energy-saving initiatives using IPMVP-compliant measurement tools, ensuring accuracy and accountability across all reporting.
And for organisations with existing energy management infrastructure, there’s no need to start from scratch. LiveEye integrates with most legacy meters and systems, reducing up-front costs and accelerating deployment.
Supporting sustainability and compliance
Beyond reducing energy costs, LiveEye supports corporate sustainability goals and makes regulatory reporting easier. Custom dashboards and automated reports - available monthly, quarterly or annually – make it easier to engage stakeholders and track progress against ESG targets.
Whether you’re managing energy across a single building or an entire estate, Cura Energy’s turnkey EMS solutions provide the intelligence and insight needed to optimise energy performance year-round.
Explore Cura’s turnkey EMS solutions to see how LiveEye can help manage summer energy waste across your property portfolio.