Future-Proofing & Renewable Grid

California Buildings • Q1 2022

By John Powers, CEO of Extensible Energy

If you own or manage a commercial building in California, it’s likely that your building is unprepared for interacting with the smart grid of the near future—and you’re not alone.

According to a recent Nexus Lab white paper, even though small and medium buildings make up 94% of commercial buildings in the United States and 44% of U.S. electricity use, only 13% of such buildings have any kind of building automation system (BAS) with energy efficiency applications. Even programmable thermostats, the lowest hanging fruit of BAS components, are estimated to be installed in just 5% of commercial buildings.

With commercial buildings being such a major part of ongoing climate emissions, California state regulators and utilities are increasingly looking to deployable technology and software that can convert any existing building into a grid-interactive efficient building (GEB).

Spearheading this effort is The California Load Flexibility Research and Development Hub (CalFlexHub), a research project that brings together industry, utilities, academia, manufacturers, and nonprofits to identify, evaluate, develop, fund, and demonstrate the software and technologies that will enable all California buildings, large and small, to be flexible, interoperable, and grid-interactive.

GEBs are buildings that combine energy efficiency and load flexibility with smart software, on-site controls, and two-way grid communications. The goal of converting to a GEB is to inexpensively reduce energy costs while enhancing comfort, productivity, and performance.

Without getting too technical, load flexibility or “demand flexibility” software shifts the time of use of flexible loads or reduces the use of flexible loads. Smart energy shifting benefits the building owner with reduced energy costs and benefits utilities that want to avoid ramping up expensive “peak” generators to meet demand. Examples of flexible loads are HVAC systems, electric vehicle chargers, electric water heaters, energy storage systems, and lighting. Without load flexibility software, these devices are turned on manually or on a set schedule, ignoring real-time energy usage and building data. With load flexibility software installed, a GEB will analyze building energy usage, utility rates, grid conditions, and temperature data, and then adjust flexible usage to avoid high demand charges and time-of-use charges, saving thousands in utility costs.

GEBs are also now part of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24). New buildings will be required to install smart thermostats with HVAC systems, and networked lighting controllers. BASs will also be required to communicate with the grid and be demand responsive. Utilities also benefit from GEBs. A 2021 report from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) reveals that the broad use GEBs could save $100 to $200 billion in U.S. electric power system costs by simply reducing and shifting the timing of flexible loads. In addition to the grid cost savings, the researchers say that GEBs could decrease grid carbon emissions by 80 million tons per year by 2030—the equivalent of offsetting annual emissions of 50 medium-sized coal plants, or 17 million cars.

GEBs can also be time savers. Because the building’s energy decisions are made by artificial intelligence, facility managers can focus on their core maintenance and IT tasks rather than fielding temperature complaints. All systems can also monitor energy usage, and some can alert facility managers that a device is failing and needs maintenance.

The challenge for the broad implementing GEBs has traditionally been cost and complexity. Owners and facility managers of small to medium buildings may not even have a smart thermostat, let alone load flexibility software.

CalFlexHub is helping test and demonstrate that GEB software and technologies can be cost-effectively installed in all types of California buildings. As part of the project, Extensible Energy is testing its load flexibility software for small to medium commercial buildings, ensuring that these types of buildings can effectively flex loads and communicate with the grid.

Sophisticated GEB technology and hardware are already deployed in some modern, large buildings. As for the long tail of smaller buildings, new AI energy management and

California Buildings • Q1 2022

AHR Expo 2022 Innovation Awards Winners this year have collectively produced products that are essential to improving the health, safety and quality of indoor experiences at a time when COVID-19 concerns guide our future.

Contest entrants were evaluated based on overall innovative design, the creativity of the product or service offered, application, as well as potential market impact. “Now more than ever we have the chance to show the world just how important HVACR is,” Stevens said.

Photo credit: AHR Expo.

Innovation: The iSMA-B-MAC36NL master application controller family provides an all-in-one solution for miniBMS. Created visualization can be displayed and controlled via HDMI output and 2 USB ports that enable connection of a mouse/keyboard or dedicated touch for the HMI panel.

Innovation: The new VTCA400 from Danfoss offers improvements on traditional centrifugal compressor designs that are large in physical size and footprint, which ultimately lead to higher cost and space constraints for the end user.

Innovation: The Infinity® 24 Heat Pump with Greenspeed® Intelligence is Carrier’s highest-efficiency and most advanced heat pump with up to 24 SEER and 13 HSPF for premium energy savings, extremely quiet performance and premium comfort features.

Innovation: AntrumX is a patented centralized sensing technology. AntrumX monitors IAQ for 32 spaces from a single location, using one sensor for every 16 rooms. Consolidating one centralized sensor for multiple spaces increases sensor accessibility while ensuring better overall control. Centralized sensing ensures better overall control because the data from 16 spaces comes from a single source, allowing building managers to optimize their ventilation strategy, and save energy without sacrificing IAQ.

Innovation: With only 14.5 inches deep, its unique smaller footprint makes the Franklin Electric Inline 1100 SpecPAK Pressure Boosting System small enough to be hung in a small utility closet or wall hung to preserve critical floor space. (Continued on next page)

Over 20% of energy consumption in commercial buildings is HVAC supply and return fan usage – more than lighting in most buildings. Should air fi ltration be your next energy conservation measure?

California Buildings • Q1 2022

• We can cut fan energy in half • 2/3 less fan energy than MERV 14 fi lters • Extends fi lter service intervals from months to YEARS • Better IAQ with MERV 15 performance • Removes ultrafi ne particles, VOCs, odors, and airborne pathogens

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Innovation: The AxiEco 630-910 incorporates new impeller geometry with a rotating diffuser and optimized blade design in order to reach a low noise level and high-efficiency.

Innovation: The Bluon Support Platform is a mobile application that becomes a centralized hub for HVAC technicians. Bluon was built for technicians, by technicians, and provides detailed system information, just-in-time training, best practices and 24/7 live tech support.

Innovation: Enginuity's E/ONE Home Power System is a modern rethinking of a classic combined heat and power system. Using clean and plentiful natural gas, the E/ONE produces both electricity and heat for homes or businesses.

Innovation: The Fluke 378 FC true-rms clamp meter uses FieldSense technology to make testing faster and safer, all without contacting a live conductor. The meter measures accurate voltage and current measurements through the clamp jaw.

Innovation: The InspirAIR® Fresh contains new innovative design features. A newly developed counterflow enthalpic core and unique fan scrolls ensure 75% sensible recovery efficiency at 32F as tested to the new CSA 439 standard required as of October 2020. Occupants can also expect to get ample fresh filtered air due to variable speed EC motors that adjust speed to changes in pressure due to stack effect and filter loading.

The AHR Expo is the world’s premier HVACR event, attracting the most comprehensive gathering of industry professionals from around the globe each year. The show provides a unique forum where manufacturers of all sizes and specialties, whether a major industry brand or innovative start-up, can come together to share ideas and showcase the future of HVACR technology under one roof. n

California Buildings

At Kings III we are singularly focused on emergency communications. That allows us the luxury of honing in on the specific sections of code that apply specifically to what we do. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of code and technological changes. Today we’re talking specifically about elevator communications code. We know it's complicated, and now with updates from International Building Code (IBC) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), emergency communications inside your elevator require even more.

So what’s changed? We’ve all been there when the elevator help phone button is pushed accidentally, and the passengers pretend it didn’t happen or, maybe just walk out of the elevator. What does a monitoring station do if it doesn’t get an answer? Monitoring stations receive up to 1,000 false calls every day, but what if a rider needs help but can’t hear or be heard?

With its 2018 release, IBC outlined additional requirements for the emergency elevator communication systems. Emergency elevator communication now had to provide a two-way video and messaging system. The idea was to not only allow an operator to see if there was someone entrapped in the elevator but also provide a means for those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired a way to communicate. This was accomplished by outlining a requirement for two-way video and providing American Sign Language (ASL) translation.

In 2019, ASME A17.1/CSA B44 issued their own updates which addressed and clarified the points identified in IBC 2018 3001.2.

These updates include: w Two-way message display in the elevator cab. w A means for authorized emergency personnel to view video footage of passengers anywhere in the cab. w A means activated by authorized emergency personnel to change the cab message to indicate help is on-site if over 60 feet of travel. After seeing how ASME adopted their version of the two-way communications code, IBC updated their recommendation, deferring to ASME for the elevator communications requirement. Call Center Note: However with the When help is dispatched send message stating "Help is on the Way." 2021 release, IBC language was updated to the followEmergency two-way communication systems must provide visible text & audible modes. ing: An emergency two-way communication system shall be provided. The system shall provide visible text and audible modes that meet all of the following requirements: w When operating in each mode, include a live interactive system that allows back and forth conversation between the elevator occupants and emergency personnel. w Is operational when the elevator is operational. w Allows elevator occupants to select the text-based or audible mode depending on their communication needs to interact with emergency personnel. How does this impact you? The year following its issue, the state of California auto adopts IBC code as the California Building Standards Code. Summarily California currently falls under the IBC 2021 requirements. Therefore, any new construction or elevator modernization would now be under the purview of the video monitoring requirements.

Type to communicate to passenger for Yes and No responses: Can you hear me?

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