The Future of Sustainable Building Management Is Energy Control

Energy Control is a company on a mission to reduce the energy consumption of buildings in Norway and build a more sustainable future. We sat down with CEO Tommy Hagenes with ten questions about their approach, challenges, and insights into the increasingly pressing topic of energy management.

10 Questions with Energy Control

1. Tell us about Energy Control. What is your mission, and how did it all come about?

The team at Energy Control has origins from the building management system (BMS) world—the traditional way of managing buildings. We all saw the need for something new: a more efficient, sustainable solution to building management. I started Energy Control because I experienced that many buildings were poorly run and knew there had to be a better way.

We started in 2014, but the technology wasn't ready during those early years. It was only when Disruptive Technologies entered the market a few years later, and we had an easy-to-implement way of gathering insight into how buildings were used, that we could start managing buildings better.

But we had a head start! We had spent the years before acting as industry consultants, exploring the challenges of the market. By the time the technology caught up with us, we were ready.

2. Explain how Energy Control helps businesses with their energy challenges.

We break it down into three steps. The first is to bring insight into the building. We want to find out where and how the energy is being consumed. Typically, the HVAC system accounts for 50-60 percent of the total energy consumption of a building.

We install temperature sensors on all of the technical equipment–the heating, cooling, and ventilation systems–to understand which are in use and when. We compare that data with occupancy data: which rooms and zones of the building are being used.

To understand usage, we use motion sensors and CO2 sensors. Just by understanding usage and taking some basic optimization initiatives, we can start to reduce energy consumption in the building.

The next step is taking control of the building, and this is when we start to see big energy savings.

For example, if the data indicates that a certain area of a building has an inefficient ventilation system—we can see this through measuring equipment temperature and analyzing room temperature and CO2—you might be able to reduce the energy that the ventilation system consumes by up to 40% just by replacing the fan.

The third step is to automate. Typically, equipment has to be upgraded before we can automate the control. Buildings will have systems or components that are 30 years old. These upgrades can take place incrementally but ultimately, our ultimate is to fully automate the energy control.

3. What data points or metrics does Energy Control collect when analyzing a building's energy performance, and why are they crucial?

Temperature, occupancy, and CO2, along with energy data are the data points we need as a baseline for energy optimization. We want to make sure that the energy is being used where the people are. These three data sets help us understand energy usage and requirements.

4. What are typical energy inefficiencies or "drains" that companies must look for?

Buildings are often overventilated and use way too much energy. In winter, we have a very dry environment, and when you overventilate, you dry out the air further and reduce the indoor air quality. We can see this immediately, and it is an easy fix. Another is as simple as heating rooms that are not in use.

5. Walk us through the process of creating a digital twin of a building and how it contributes to better energy management.

Older buildings typically don't have good documentation, and they have been remodeled many times. The first step to getting to know the building is to create that digital twin. We use LIDAR technology to scan the building; then, we overlay it with a map of the sensors to show the real-time data and where it is coming from. This overview helps us identify and understand a customer's problems throughout our journey together.

6. What role do real-time monitoring and data analytics play in identifying inefficiencies and optimization opportunities?

With the digital twin, you can have a plumber in one location, an electrician in another, and a management member in a third, all looking at the data together. We can review all the different ventilation systems and heating systems and also which rooms are in use. Together, we can identify immediate fixes and longer-term improvement initiatives.

7. Can you share insights into the kind of actionable recommendations and strategies Energy Control provides to businesses after analyzing their energy data?

We work closely with our customers to identify new opportunities for energy optimization, whether redirecting usage, upgrading equipment, or investing in new, modern technologies. When we embark on an energy optimization project with a customer, we aim to keep that relationship for a lifetime.

Buildings and businesses are constantly changing. We want to give our vendors a lifetime guarantee that their system is always working as well as it can be and that energy usage is controlled and appropriate to the business they are running at that moment in time.

8. What steps can businesses take today to start improving their energy efficiency and reducing energy costs?

Every building should start with insights. We see so many buildings beginning with extensive optimization projects without any data to work from. Whether it is a minor upgrade or an extensive rebuild, whether you have new tenants coming in, or whether you are planning a complete organizational rehaul, every project should start with data about how a building or space is being used and how energy is consumed.

9. What trends or innovations in energy management do you see on the horizon, and how is Energy Control preparing for them?

We have so much data today that it is a job to handle it all and make the most of it. We see that AI will become a significant driver in this. We are looking into ways to help our customers manage all the data they can collect, analyze it, and understand it. We hope to see buildings getting more automated, and if something isn't working, it should be immediately apparent.

10. Where can interested parties learn more about Energy Control and get in touch with your team for a consultation?

Our industry has a problem. Businesses need to find ways to tackle the challenges of energy consumption and sustainability. You will find Energy Control wherever discussions about making buildings smarter and more environmentally sustainable are taking place.

You can also reach us on LinkedIn or at www.energy-control.no.

Bottom Line

With its three-step approach to changing the way buildings manage energy, Energy Control is making a significant impact on energy efficiency and sustainability in Norway's building sector. Are you interested in learning more?

Discover how they helped Sundvolden Hotel reduce its energy consumption by 1GWH.

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