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Akron Energy Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Customer Service with IoT
Technology Category
- Drones - Flight & Control Systems
- Sensors - Environmental Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Buildings
- Glass
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
- Building Automation & Control
- Remote Control
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Akron Energy Systems (AES) is a community energy system operator in Akron, Ohio. They facilitate the transition from on-site energy production to community energy systems, thereby reducing building owners’ total cost of ownership by taking over building system upkeep and maintenance. However, AES was facing challenges with the existing control solutions at customer locations, which often required them to make site visits to diagnose and correct system issues. This was not only time-consuming but also inefficient. To improve customer service and streamline their internal processes, AES needed a control solution that could provide remote access, analytics, and alert capabilities under a single pane of glass. This would enable them to diagnose customer problems quickly without the need for site visits and provide their customers with powerful portfolio-wide insight.
The Customer
Akron Energy Systems (AES)
About The Customer
Akron Energy Systems (AES) is the community energy system operator for the city of Akron, Ohio. They manage a central plant that produces steam and chilled water, which are then distributed to buildings through a network of underground pipes. This eliminates the need for onsite equipment and reduces the total energy use of the buildings. AES also takes over the upkeep and maintenance of the building systems, thereby reducing the total cost of ownership for building owners. Their customers range from sports stadiums to city fire stations, and they were previously dealing with a variety of control systems at these different locations.
The Solution
After considering several control providers, AES chose 75F for its cloud-enabled remote control, robust analytics, pre-packaged control sequences with ASHRAE GPC 36 built in, scalability, and affordable price point. AES has since installed 75F in various sites, including Canal Park Stadium and a network of city fire stations. With 75F’s User Portal, Facilisight, AES can remotely monitor their customers’ buildings and diagnose problems without leaving their office. They can also make remote adjustments to solve site problems. For instance, AES was able to remotely confirm that building systems and equipment at the city’s fire stations were operating normally and that the issue was just a matter of setpoint preference, thereby saving a trip to troubleshoot a simple problem. AES also improved air quality and lowered energy use with simple and scalable economizer control at Canal Park, resulting in an annual cost reduction of 19% across their HVAC business at the site.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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