Virtual Storage

by Jonathan McGaha | April 29, 2013 12:00 am

You wouldn’t hand the keys to your Ferrari to a stranger off the street, so why would you allow your cutting-edge building to be run at anything other than optimal efficiency?

 

It is no secret that architects have a prominent role when it comes to the design and construction of new buildings and major renovations, as the voice of the building owner. The decisions they make affect all aspects of a project for its entire life cycle, especially energy efficiency-a high priority for owners and managers today. Things like site, materials, layout and building envelope play key roles in overall building performance once the project is complete and occupied. It is equally as important (and now very common) for architects- usually through their consulting MEP engineer-to be involved in choosing the right building control system for their structure. It’s the brain of the building and the technology that’s going to keep the building owner satisfied when it comes to occupant comfort and energy dollars spent.

 

A high-performing structure that works as a cohesive design-everything from the building envelope to the building management system-is proven to be more valuable and more comfortable for its occupants. According to industry and real estate analysts, buildings with a “green rating” have sale prices that are 16 percent higher than comparable buildings, and space that can be rented at rates that are 3 percent higher per square foot. Indeed, energy efficiency is becoming a prized key selection criterion within the market by tenants and buyers. As demand for energy continues to increase at a rate above our capabilities to supply it, this is an area that keeps many building owners awake at night.

 

The good news? The imbalance in supply and demand has also created the opportunity for architects and engineers to implement “virtual storage” into the building design, which will not only allow the facility to able operate with minimal costs but also can generate revenue for the business owner. Peak demand is a growing concern in the United States. Utility companies are barely able to meet demand at times, and the struggle to keep pace is evident during summer months when the increased usage of air conditioning leads to unreliable power distribution and blackouts. For these reasons utility companies have started incentive programs that financially reward commercial buildings for lowering usage during times of peak demand. Capitalizing on these incentives is win-win for both the building and the utility company, which can then avoid building additional peak-generating plants, which are costly and environmentally problematic.

 

During the development of the facility program, when the architect, engineer, facility manger, building owner and lead commissioning agent are all in the same room, “virtual storage” and implementation of a next-generation building management system should be identified as a priority-and “specified into” the project. Virtual storage is the ability to leverage the thermal mass of a building to retain heat or “coolness” and relies on software and building sensors to reshape demand to match variable supply. This is an inexpensive, easy-to-install and continuously updated solution compared to hard storage technologies alternatives.

 

Translation? Happy building owner, happy architect, comfortable occupants.

 

Next-generation energy management systems are able to make real-time changes to a commercial building’s controls based on variables, such as building characteristics, occupancy comfort patterns and tolerances, utility tariffs, forecast weather data and demand response signals. It is compatible with most building management systems because it is a supervisory software system that sits on top of the building automation system that is already in place and that architects/engineers are familiar with, making it an easy and accessible solution. The system actively makes direct changes to equipment settings-via the existing building automation system-to optimize energy usage while communicating with the utility company. The use of cloud technology has eliminated the need for large capital investments and improved computing capability. This solution is compatible with new construction as well as retrofits, allowing for widespread adoption. By moving peak power consumption to generate added revenue through utility incentives and reducing HVAC energy consumption by 15 to 40 percent, the system offers a quick return on investment.

 

By leveraging this progressive technology and the concepts of virtual storage, the architect/engineer can provide all the benefits of physical storage without the costs, maintenance or additional time required to install such a complex system. The facility is able to run at maximum efficiency-automatically, predictively, dynamically-allowing it to take full advantage of all other sustainable aspects that were implemented into the physical design. The green label that is associated with the building increases its worth and the technology ends up paying for itself. Virtual storage is an easy way for any architect or engineer to provide added value to any project.

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Joel Weingarten, LEED AP, is the vice president of products at BuildingIQ, San Mateo, Calif. Building- IQ’s mission is to change the way energy is managed in the commercial building sector. To learn more, visit www.buildingiq.com[1].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/virtual-storage/

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