Precision Controls for Life Sciences
An industry leader in the collection and processing of life-saving biological material sought expert guidance on how to advance progress towards Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. After implementing Trane® Autonomous Control powered by BrainBox AI® in more than 120 donation and collection facilities, Trane Autonomous Control has reduced 1,132 mtCO2e and has resulted in $329k in energy cost savings in the first 18 months of operation.
Motivated by bold sustainability initiatives, a loyal Trane equipment, controls, and services client was seeking expert guidance on how to make progress on aggressive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction goals across a national portfolio of facilities. As an industry leader in the collection and processing of life saving biological material, the client must support both donor comfort and critical product environmental conditions under the same roof.
The decarbonization goals, set by their parent company, included a 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2025 and to be net zero by 2035.
Life-saving ChallengeDue to the critical nature and requirements of the collected biological material, air temperature and humidity control is a matter of life-saving functionality, not just comfort. It was vital to achieve the best possible environmental conditions on a zone-by-zone basis while also helping to optimize energy consumption.
Having already optimized their systems both mechanically and through the use of a Tracer® SC+ Building Automation System, the client needed ways to help generate more significant carbon reduction and cost savings without large investments in human capital or equipment.
Sustainability initiatives needed to fit within their investment threshold and include a crucial stipulation for little to no operational disruptions.
Because no two buildings are identical, it was imperative to create an adaptable program that could be implemented across multiple sites located in different parts of the country.
Decarbonization Solution
Trane introduced a decarbonization program that was scalable to the customer’s 150+ donation centers across the country, resulted in significant cost savings, and was implemented with next to no downtime or sizeable equipment investments.
To operate within the customer’s existing parameters, Trane identified an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled solution to predictively optimize the system’s performance.
The unique nature of the client’s business lent itself to the innovative optimization capabilities available through the AI-enabled service, Trane® Autonomous Control powered by BrainBox AI®. By incorporating variables such as predictive weather data, occupancy trends, and equipment performance data, the use of AI technology allows for more advanced optimization to impact the customer's environmental and financial goals.
Without the need for additional hardware, the team avoided impacts from potential supply chain delays, and easily connected from the client’s current building management system to the cloud-based service. It was a seamless coordination between rooftop units and existing internal HVAC equipment which resulted in the transformation of already responsive HVAC systems into predictive systems. This provided the ability to adjust zone-by-zone temperatures autonomously. By monitoring conditions and algorithmically controlling equipment performance, this AI-enabled service helped maximize efficiency and cost savings.
Swift Results
In the first six months, the client was well over halfway to their 2025 goal at the five test sites - with a 26.1% CO2e reduction and 16.7% savings in electricity. This reduction was accomplished with no additional hardware needed on-site and with no site interruptions.
To date, the program has been implemented at more than 100 additional clinics across the country with impressive results impacting both Scope 1 (natural gas) and Scope 2 (electricity) emissions reductions. The sites that have activated the AI solution have seen a staggering 22% lower Energy Use Intensity (energy / sq. ft.) than sites where Trane Autonomous Control has yet to be activated.
The program proved it could play a large part in reducing the client’s overall carbon footprint and energy costs all while maintaining the strict temperature and humidity requirements necessary for the safety and success of their clinics. These outcomes highlighted the scalability of the program and showed that rapid implementation was possible without disturbance to operations and customer satisfaction.
“The collaborative nature of the development of this program allowed it to be extremely successful,” said Trevor Joelson, a Trane Energy Services Account Executive. “The initial centers showed such great results, the team quickly implemented this in other locations and the program is delivering significant energy cost savings, making the program cash flow positive.”
As a result of this collaboration, not only did the customer enhance their reputation as a responsible corporate citizen, but they also experienced increased operational efficiency and substantial cost savings. Together, they proved that sustainable practices are not only good for the planet but also beneficial for the bottom line.
Products Used: Controls, Building Automation Systems
Results Metrics:
- Trane® Autonomous Control powered by BrainBox AI® in over 120 donation and collection facilities
- Trane Autonomous Control has reduced 1,132 mtCO2e
- $329k in Energy Cost Savings in the First 18 Months of Operations
- 16.7% Savings in Electricity in the First 6 Months
- Sites that have activated our AI solution have seen a 22% lower Energy Use Intensity (energy/sq. ft.)
Controls Leader Brings Energy Savings Home
When IoT-based smart green solutions provider Delta designed its Fremont, California, headquarters in 2018, it knew it had to go above and beyond. It had to target zero energy—and that’s exactly what it accomplished with recent technology upgrades to its already sustainable facility.
The company’s regional headquarters recently became the first green building in Fremont, and second in the Silicon Valley Bay Area, to achieve the LEED Zero Energy certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The accolade, granted to green buildings that generate as much electricity as they consume, was attained thanks to the further implementation of Delta’s own solutions in this originally LEED Platinum facility.
Aided by an energy-conscious design that utilizes geographical advantages unique to Fremont while considering the productivity and needs of its operations, the Delta Americas HQ building is an example of what a total integrated solution can look like.
By focusing on energy conservation in information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, buildings and factories, and by developing smart energy solutions (renewable energy, energy storage, EV charging) Delta aims to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a sustainable future—starting with its own facilities.
Delta invested in a comprehensive solar energy solution that covers nearly the entire area of the 180,000-square-foot facility at a total cost of approximately $1.5 million.
Optimized energy management is also attained by the implementation of Delta’s next-generation SCADA system and building control platform. These platforms integrate seamlessly with the existing building sub-systems, such as HVAC, LED lighting and other energy-intensive applications, to create set points, collect data and track trends, create reports and manage alarms, remotely. With unlimited scalability, this solution grows with the facility as new solutions are integrated to ensure lower energy consumption.
Contractor-designed Monitor Keeps Tabs on Building Performance for K-12 School
Founded in 1948 in St. Paul, Minn., Harris is dedicated to building relationships with and being a trusted partner for clients. The Harris-Schaeffer Academy partnership exemplifies this notion. Schaeffer Academy is a K-12 private school with a 54,823-square foot facility in Rochester, Minn.
In 2014, Schaeffer Academy brought on Harris for a small-scale service contract, performing inspections and repairs on their sewage ejector systems as needed. Later, this grew into a more extensive maintenance plan designed by Harris.
When the academy's HVAC equipment was nearing the end of its life, the teams started deep discussions on the next steps and a vision for improvements.
Harris's recommendations included an HVAC preventive maintenance plan with Telemetry®, the replacement of 15 rooftop units and the installation of a building automation system. The maintenance package covered any repairs to keep Schaeffer Academy's current equipmenet running until the new equipment was installed.
With the addition of Telemetry, Harris consistently monitors the building's performance and identifies any comfort and efficiency issues.
Jon Klug, Building Controls Project Sales Representative for Harris spoke to Telemetry's ability to red-flag potential system problems.
"Probably one of the greatest things that it offers that that I've seen from it is that with the rule sets that we have written, it enables us and the customer to potentially pick up on future issues before they become real. For example you know if it detects that one of your hot water pumps is is running harder than it once did, and things may be getting a little worn out, and maybe we should get one on order, so we have it on the shelf, so to speak. If it fails at 10:00 PM on a Saturday night when it's 20 below outside, we have a replacement ready to go.
Telemetry can co-exist with virtually any brand of building automation system, and is not limited to systems that Harris teams install.
"And, depending on the system. it's not just a cookie cutter, where we slam it in and then we're talking to it and there might be an additional device that we have to install to get that communication going. If on our mechanical side or service side we have customers that don't have a building automation system installed by Harris, this allows us to support that customer in another way without doing a full automation retrofit," Klug said.
Prescription for Health Facility: Out With the Old
Administrators from Providence Health Millcreek Internal Medicine Everett, Washington, needed a replacement for 25-year-old rooftop units using antiquated technology.
"They needed greater capacity from their air handling equipment, and wanted to improve on the facility's cooling and heating by using new technologies with reduced energy consumption," explained George Paich, Director, Sales and Marketing for Alliance Air Products.
Challenge: "We could not increase the height and weight of the replacement air handlers, and had to use the same curb dimensions the existing units were located on. We made a site visit to measure curb dimensions, and note the locations of the supply air and return air, and try to fit everything within the same dimensions, with greater capacity.
"To reduce energy consumption we used EC fan technology to replace the belt-driven fans. The EC fans also runs quieter and with less vibration than a belt-driven fan."
The higher-efficiency gas furnaces have higher turn-down ratios, which allowed for reduced furnace operation on cold days. "We also included an economizer that enabled free cooling on days when outdoor cooling was sufficient for providing what they needed," Paich said.
They also employed an evaporative cooled condensing unit and reduced the space the compressorized system was using. "That gave them more area inside the air handler, for greater maintenance-friendly areas."