For many people the number on their electricity bill came as an unpleasant surprise recently. With a mix of different developments causing the energy price increase, for example the price increase of fuel, and a reduction in the supply of wind- and hydropower, it has become abundantly clear to many that now is the right time to invest in sustainable, energy saving innovations. This is no less true for the real estate sector, which amounts to 40% of global energy consumption.

New buildings are typically built with all the latest and greatest when it comes to energy efficiency. Most buildings are not built recently however, and this provides a huge challenge for the innovation of the real estate sector. These older buildings often have HVAC systems running on factory default settings or were tuned a long time ago. The reality of the situation is that building layouts change, as well as its occupation, and as a result the most bizarre situations arise. It is for example not uncommon in older buildings that both heating and cooling units are activated at the same time. The Internet of Things has made it possible to retrofit existing buildings with wireless communicating-, easy to install-, battery driven- sensor devices. These sensor devices collect real-time data of parameters such as temperature, humidity, CO2 and particulate matter. This data is the foundation for a game changing innovation for the real estate industry: Talkpool’s HVAC optimization solution.

The way this works is as follows: the sensor data gets combined with energy tariffs, weather forecasts and additional external data and is connected directly to the existing building management system (BMS). This is done via the internet so no hardware is needed. Full integration with leading BMS providers are already established, and any other web-connected BMS-system can be integrated as well. An Artifical Intelligence (AI) model optimizes the BMS based on the inputs, resulting in energy savings up to 25%, providing a strong financial- as well as sustainability/environmental incentive.

Apart from the energy savings, the indoor climate is also significantly improved, as the heating, ventilation and cooling of the building is controlled in real-time based on actual sensor feedback from the building. The air quality benefits are crucial to a healthy environment that promotes productivity and well-being and minimizes the risk for spreading airborne viral diseases such as COVID-19. Say farewell to cold offices and stuffy classrooms.

Talkpool’s HVAC Optimization solution is designed to help real estate owners optimize existing large commercial buildings (>10.000m²), ensuring a future-proof, sustainable property portfolio. More about the solution can be found here.