1. Endless summer is becoming more commonplace and especially hard on energy management at shopping malls. Being a cool zone for a community that has been too hot for too long is an important part of a shopping mall’s image. Also crucial to public perception and property value nowadays is a commitment to energy efficiency. Today’s changing climate creates the need to use both more and less energy-intensive equipment. More heating and cooling are needed as temperatures stay extreme for longer. However, reducing heating and cooling would help to combat the underlying issues keeping temperatures at extremes in the first place.

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CHALLENGE

Brookfield Properties Retail (BPR) along with OTI installed a 1.4 MW solar array and control system at the mall, as a part of a comprehensive efficiency upgrade that included high efficiency HVAC and LED lighting.

The Pembroke Lakes Mall is a luxury mall complex of 1.1 million sq. ft. in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Brookfield Properties Retail (BPR) along with OTI installed a 1.4 MW solar array and control system at the mall, as a part of a comprehensive efficiency upgrade that included high efficiency HVAC and LED lighting.

BPR and OTI noticed that on sunny days, solar output exceeded total property demand for significant periods and worked on a solution to optimize this through the control system. They were looking for data to understand how the building heats up and cools down on a “normal day” in order to optimize HVAC and maintain tenant and shopper comfort. They wanted to adjust HVAC set points in real time to match solar production and not “miss the mark” and setting a new demand peak.

To collect the data and perform remote maintenance, a secure and reliable connectivity solution was needed. Easy centralized access management was seen as vital, in order to grant access to various parties.

SOLUTION

TOSIBOX® Plug & Go™ was used to provide easy and secure connectivity for remote maintenance and data acquisition. Tosibox protects all devices behind it, and remote access can be granted down to the device level via physical TOSIBOX® Keys. TOSIBOX® Virtual Central Lock is the hub for the ecosystem, providing centralized network and access group management, and always-on data acquisition.

Now BPR and OTI are working on artificial intelligence analytics enhancements to manage grid energy usage. The SkySpark analytics platform automatically analyses the data collected from building automation systems, metering systems and other smart devices to identify issues, patterns, deviations, faults and opportunities for operational improvements and cost reduction. Both energy management and control systems now understand how the building heats up and cools down, allowing real-time adjustments to HVAC set points to match solar production and in turn reduce grid demand. These efforts have already earned a 67% reduction in grid energy purchases. 

Secure connectivity to equipment data is fundamental to the successful application of data analytics projects in the built environment. The wide range of devices and varying levels of security found in the real-world applications create a strong need for security technology like Tosibox that can be applied quickly and easily to create secure networks for device data. John Petze, Co-Founder and COO, SkyFoundry

BENEFITS

    • Secure connectivity to HVAC systems
    • Real-time data collection provides information of the mall’s energy consumption and cost savings through energy optimization
    • Easy network management to allow centralized access management by drag & drop
    • Improved tenant and shopper comfort while greenhouse gas and carbon footprint are reduced

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OTI is a U.S.-based systems integrator that connects building systems to protect data, inform business decisions, create efficiencies and enhance user experience.

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SkyFoundry’s software solutions help clients derive value from their investments in smart systems.

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