Solution
Commercial Energy Management
Enterprise commercial energy management with IoT sensors, digital twins, and AI analytics.
Daily Energy - 20,040 kWh
Key Metrics
High
Efficiency
99.99%
Reliability
Full
Coverage
3-6 mo
ROI
Real Results
Measurable Savings Across Your Portfolio
HVAC Reduction
25%
Average HVAC energy reduction through AI-driven scheduling and zone optimization
Lighting Savings
35%
Energy reduction from occupancy-based automation and daylight harvesting control
Certification Support
12+
Green building certifications supported including LEED, BREEAM, and WELL
Tenant Satisfaction
89%
Average occupant satisfaction score after deploying comfort optimization
Why It Matters
Buildings Are the Biggest Lever Owners Have
Buildings account for roughly 40% of global energy consumption and a third of energy-related emissions, and commercial real estate is the most controllable share of that. In a typical office tower, HVAC uses about 30-45% of total energy, lighting 15-25%, and plug loads the remainder. Because most of this is consumed to serve a schedule rather than actual people, the practical savings from aligning operation with occupancy are large and recurring.
For asset owners the stakes are now both financial and regulatory. Energy is a direct operating expense that compounds across a portfolio, and disclosure regimes - the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, New York's Local Law 97, and similar carbon performance standards - are turning inefficient buildings into stranded assets. Tenant demand for green-certified, comfortable space is pushing occupancy rates and rental premiums toward buildings that can demonstrate measured performance.
The economic case compounds: every kilowatt-hour avoided is a direct saving on utility bills, a reduction in peak demand charges, and a point toward LEED or BREEAM certification that raises asset value.
The Numbers
Where Commercial Energy Goes
Share of office energy consumed by HVAC, the dominant and most optimizable load
Share consumed by lighting, fully controllable with occupancy and daylight logic
Average share of office space unoccupied during a typical working day
Energy savings typical from right-sizing operation to real occupancy patterns
Rental premium commonly associated with green-certified commercial assets
Deep Dive
Occupancy: The Most Underused Signal in Commercial Buildings
Commercial buildings are operated on assumptions that stopped being true years ago. Traditional schedules run HVAC and lighting for a 9-to-6 five-day pattern, yet hybrid work has pushed average office utilization well below 70% and spread presence unevenly across floors and hours. Occupancy sensing - PIR presence detectors, BLE beacon counts, desk sensors, and existing camera analytics - lets the building follow reality.
| Space Type | Typical Vacancy | Control Response | Savings Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting rooms | 40-60% of working day | Booking-integrated HVAC and lighting setback | 30-50% in rooms |
| Desk zones | 35-60% of working day | Zone-level demand response on vacancy | 15-30% overall |
| After hours / weekends | 95-100% | Full setback with occupancy-triggered recovery | 40-60% off-hours |
| Core & common areas | 20-40% | Always-on minimums with demand-controlled ventilation | 5-10% |
Beyond energy, the same data drives space planning - which floors are under-utilized, which amenities draw occupancy, and where leases could be renegotiated. Owners turn occupancy from a guess into an asset-management metric.
Deep Dive
HVAC: From Fixed Schedules to Continuous Optimization
The largest single opportunity in commercial real estate is HVAC operation. Legacy control runs supply air, heating, and cooling on static schedules and seasonal curves, leaving chillers and air-handlers oversized for most of the day. Continuous optimization layers real-time measurement over the building's existing BMS: zone temperature and humidity, CO2 for demand-controlled ventilation, supply and return temperatures, and chiller and boiler part-load curves.
The optimization stack applies progressively: scheduling aligned to occupancy, setpoint optimization that drifts toward comfort-verified minimums, trim and respond on chillers to avoid simultaneous heating and cooling, and night purge and pre-cooling that shift load into low-tariff or high-efficiency periods. Savings in the 20-30% range are typical without sacrificing the comfort that keeps tenants renewing.
- Demand-controlled ventilation based on measured CO2 occupancy
- Chiller plant optimization with staging and condenser water reset
- Pre-cooling and load-shifting to exploit time-of-use tariffs
- Fault detection that catches stuck dampers and valve drift early
Implementation
A Route to Certification and Verified Savings
Green building certification rewards precisely the measurement infrastructure that energy management requires. LEED's energy and atmosphere credits, BREEAM's energy section, and WELL's comfort requirements all depend on documented, monitored performance rather than design intent. The same submetering, sensor network, and reporting engine that cuts operating cost generates the audit trail certification bodies demand.
| Step | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Submeter the main loads and install occupancy and comfort sensors | Real-time visibility per floor |
| 2 | Establish an energy baseline (IPMVP Option C) | Verified savings baseline |
| 3 | Deploy scheduling, setpoint, and demand-control optimization | 20-25% measured reduction |
| 4 | Feed evidence into LEED / BREEAM / WELL documentation | Certification credits |
Measurement and verification matters beyond certification: with IPMVP-based reporting, owners can hold performance contracts accountable and prove the savings they report to lenders and investors.
Platform Capabilities
Intelligent Control for Every Building System
HVAC Optimization
AI-driven scheduling, zone temperature control, and demand-based ventilation. Reduce HVAC energy by up to 25% while maintaining or improving occupant comfort.
Lighting Control
Occupancy-based automation with daylight harvesting, task tuning, and personal control. Achieve 35% lighting energy savings with wireless or DALI-connected fixtures.
Tenant Billing
Submeter-accurate energy billing with transparent tenant dashboards. Support for gross, modified gross, and NNN lease structures with automated invoice generation.
LEED & BREEAM Support
Automated documentation and data collection for green building certifications. Pre-configured templates for LEED v4.1, BREEAM 2020, WELL v2, and ENERGY STAR.
Demand Response
Automated participation in utility demand response programs. Real-time load shed optimization with automatic restoration sequencing post-event.
Occupant Comfort
Continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, CO2, VOC levels, and noise. Zone-level comfort optimization with occupant feedback integration.
Use Cases
Built for Every Commercial Segment
Office Buildings
Optimize energy across corporate headquarters, coworking spaces, and multi-tenant office towers. Zone-level HVAC and lighting control adapts to occupancy patterns and lease schedules.
- Floor-by-floor HVAC zone control
- Meeting room & desk occupancy sensing
- Submeter tenant billing reconciliation
Retail & Hospitality
Balance customer comfort with energy efficiency across retail stores, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Context-aware control adapts to foot traffic, hours of operation, and seasonal patterns.
- Foot traffic-based HVAC scheduling
- Multi-site portfolio dashboards
- Kitchen & refrigeration monitoring
Healthcare
Maintain critical environmental conditions in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories while reducing energy costs. AHU optimization, pressure cascade monitoring, and redundancy management for 24/7 facilities.
- OR & isolation room pressure monitoring
- Pharmacy & cold storage compliance
- ASHRAE 170 ventilation compliance
Education
Optimize energy across K-12 school districts and university campuses. Classroom-level comfort control, after-hours scheduling for events, and utility cost allocation across departments.
- Campus-wide centralized control
- Event & sports facility scheduling
- Utility cost allocation by department
Powered by Entelec PSIM & Accuenergy Metering
Commercial buildings benefit from Entelec Sky-Walker PSIM (350+ drivers) for unified security across lobbies, offices, and parking structures. Accuenergy provides tenant submetering with AcuRev 4100 branch circuit monitoring and AcuCloud EMS for energy billing and analysis.
Join 350+ commercial properties using Integrar IoT to cut HVAC and lighting costs, prove occupancy-based savings, and earn LEED or BREEAM certification. Talk to a smart-building specialist about your portfolio.