The secret to a green economy? Data first, then decisions

The energy revolution might not necessarily be televised, but it will increasingly be monitored, measured and automated to push “intelligent efficiency” up to once-unimaginable levels.

For an idea of what that revolution could look like, consider a cluster of around 30 commercial and industrial buildings in an area west of London. Part of a £30-million project called the New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV), the investment here pales in comparison to billions pouring in to build London-area venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Over the long term, though, the impact of this project could far outweigh that of a new stadium or athletes’ housing complex.

“NTVV has the potential to revolutionize our existing networks, and help us to manage resources and equipment more effectively as the UK heads toward a low-carbon economy,” said Stewart Reid, NTVV Project Director at Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution.

The New Thames Valley Vision is one of many “smart” technology projects being supported by energy regulator Ofgem’s £500-million Low Carbon Networks Fund. The project’s goal: to help move energy consumption “from data to decisions.”

That means connecting all the buildings in the test area into a single network that not only monitor and measure how much energy they’re using, but automatically adjust consumption when peak demand begins stressing the electricity grid.

Part of that solution will lie with what’s called automated demand response (DR) technology. The system will alert building managers when energy use is getting high and will kick into effect pre-arranged responses to temporarily cut consumption. One company, for instance, might choose to automatically switch off lights in parts of the building that are unoccupied at the time, while an industrial user might prefer to cycle certain equipment on and off.

Combine all those individual building strategies into one network, and the result could be a potential “shaving” in peak energy demand of around 10 megawatts, according to Honeywell, the company that’s installing the DR technology.

“A smarter grid is essential to balancing supply and demand in the most efficient, sustainable way possible,” said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. He added that, “utilities also need to connect with their customers in new ways and Auto DR creates those bonds.”