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PROJECT
building technology
Cooling Las Vegas’ Charleston Pavilion Centre during the peak summer season, even with low-e glass, could be burdensome because of the amount of direct sunlight and the hot desert environment. Photo: Charleston Pavillion LLC
Software Shaves Peak Consumption Part of NV Energy’s energy-optimization effort, the demand-response platform reduces peak HVAC electric consumption by 10% to 15%.
T
he Charleston Pavilion Centre, a six-story,
modeling, and control of 12 primary air-conditioning
response) events. For each building, the software is
154,000-sq.-ft., class-A office building locat-
units. The comfort of the high-end tenants involved in
able to use variables such as weather forecasts, building
ed in western Las Vegas, was selected by NV
critical business operations was paramount and could
characteristics, energy pricing, and occupant comfort
Energy, Las Vegas, for early adoption of the utility’s
not be compromised during software implementation.
to make continuous changes to HVAC controls and
demand-response (DR) program, which provides fi-
BuildingIQ , Foster City, CA, came to the Pavilion
optimize daily energy use through the existing build-
nancial incentives to power consumers for reducing
project through NV Energy’s mPowered Optimiza-
energy during peak hours.
tion, a customer-engagement program launched in the
Installing the platform allows NV Energy to estab-
summer of 2013. As part of the program, BuildingIQ’s
lish a direct connection with a building. NV Energy is
munity, the Pavilion is surfaced with a large amount of
integrated
de-
then able to send signals to the platform, informing it
glass and set off with a distinctive top-floor balcony with
mand-response (autoDR) software-as-a-service (SaaS)
of an upcoming DR event. The software automatically
large, open views of the surrounding countryside. Cool-
solution has been deployed in casinos and government
makes changes to reduce consumption. The changes
ing during the peak summer season, even with low-e
and commercial buildings across Las Vegas to seam-
happen automatically and seamlessly, based on re-
glass, could be burdensome because of the amount of
lessly reduce consumption by the utility’s largest cli-
al-time conditions, doing away with the need for facil-
direct sunlight and the hot desert environment.
ents during peak hours.
ity managers to plan and implement a demand-re-
Designed to appeal aesthetically to the business com-
energy-efficiency
and
automated
The key challenge was to determine the building’s
Through the program, customers receive access to
capacity for demand response given its design and
BuildingIQ’s software and reap energy savings in re-
thermal properties. This required the integration,
turn for reducing consumption during DR (demand
28
COMMERCI A L BUIL DING P RODUC T S
NOV/DEC 2014
www.cbpmagazine.com
ing-management system.
sponse action. The DR events take place without disruption to the building’s occupants. Past experience showed the NV Energy program was
