Building Automation Sustainability Tracking for Baseline-Guided Resource Use
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Building operations contribute significantly to carbon dioxide emissions and water wastage, limiting the ability of building owners to reduce their carbon footprint and operational costs due to lack of technological control over utility grids and inefficient resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
A building management system (BMS) with a graphical user interface that displays resource consumption data, allowing users to set baselines or targets, and adjust operations based on icons indicating consumption levels, thereby reducing resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If building operations continue with existing utility grid dependency, then building operations can be maintained, but carbon emissions and resource consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring resource consumption (energy, water) through meters and comparing actual usage against baseline values. The graphical interface displays consumption data with baseline references, enabling real-time feedback to building operators about sustainability performance and areas for improvement.
Solution Approach 2:
The building management system enables self-service sustainability tracking by automatically collecting data from meters, calculating consumption values, comparing against baselines, and generating visual reports without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously monitoring and reporting on carbon footprint and resource consumption.
2Loss of information
If detailed resource consumption tracking is implemented, then sustainability insights are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The building management system performs multiple functions through a unified platform: it collects data from various meters (energy, water), calculates consumption values, compares against baseline, generates graphical visualizations, and provides sustainability reporting. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise be separate systems into one integrated solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual representations (bar graphs with baseline lines) that copy and simplify complex consumption data into intuitive visual formats. These graphical representations replicate the essence of detailed consumption data while making it easily interpretable for building operators without requiring complex analysis skills.
3Loss of substance
If baseline consumption values are established and monitored, then resource waste is reduced, but measurement and detection requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes baseline consumption values in advance as reference points before monitoring actual usage. These pre-determined baselines represent expected or historical consumption levels that enable subsequent detection of waste or inefficiency. The baseline acts as a preliminary reference that simplifies ongoing detection of abnormal consumption patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes generating a graphical user interface including a graph having graphical elements representing values of a sustainability metric for various time periods, adding instances of a first icon aligned with first graphical elements representing first values of the sustainability metric exceeding a baseline or target value of the sustainability metric, adding instances of a second icon aligned with second graphical elements of representing second values of the sustainability metric less than the baseline or target value of the sustainability metric by less than a threshold amount, and abstaining from adding instances of the first icon or the second icon aligned with third graphical elements representing third values of the sustainability metric less than the baseline or target value of the sustainability metric by more than the threshold amount.