Johnson Controls, which provides solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings, has launched a new innovation, the Panoptix solution, which helps owners better manage building performance, energy consumption and comply with new mandates for green buildings.
In the United Arab Emirates, approximately 60 percent of energy is consumed by buildings. The Panoptix solution helps building owners and operators reduce energy consumption through better visibility and analysis of systems, providing information, tools and support to manage building performance more effectively.
The Panoptix solution includes four key components:
- An open technology platform that makes it easy to collect and manage data from various building systems and other data sources, such as meter and weather data.
- A suite of cloud-hosted building efficiency applications that work with any building management system, including Metasys by Johnson Controls.
- On-line and by-phone Live Guide support, as well as on-site building and energy services to help customers implement operational improvements and energy-saving measures.
- An online Panoptix connected community of peers and experts committed to sharing best practices, news and resources.
The Panoptix offering addresses many of the requirements in a recently-announced Green Economy Initiative that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative covers a wide range of legislation, policies and projects, many of which are focused on making public and private sector buildings more sustainable by 2014.
“Leaders in the United Arab Emirates are committed to creating a more energy efficient, sustainable future and recognize that building management can help reach these goals,” said Laura Farnham, vice president, building technology and services, Building Efficiency, Johnson Controls. “The Panoptix solution provides insight to help owners make timely decisions, empowering them to optimize building performance and energy efficiency without compromising comfort.”
Four initial cloud-based applications are available, with plans for additional Johnson Controls and partner-developed applications to be added over time. The initial set includes:
- Continuous Diagnostics Advisor – Detects abnormal energy consumption and provides early warnings about equipment faults.
- Carbon and Energy Reporter – Tracks energy usage and carbon emissions across an enterprise.
- Energy Performance Monitor – Creates energy baseline models and tracks savings from energy efficiency projects.
- Custom Analyzer – Provides flexible trend analysis to compare facilities, diagnose problems and report performance.
The Panoptix solution also provides an online community so users can connect with industry thought leaders, subject matter experts and colleagues to share experiences, news and best practices.
“Technology trends such as cloud computing and the convergence of building automation and IT networks are providing building owners and operators with easier access to the information to create buildings that work more efficiently,” adds Farnham
Johnson Controls has worked on a number of high profile projects in the region, including City Stars mixed-use facility and Cairo Festival City in Egypt; Burj Khalifa in Dubai; New Doha International Airport and Pearl Development in Qatar; Bahrain Bay Project; Kingdom and Faisaliah Towers, Jebel Al Qala, Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman University for Women and expansion of the Holy Haram in Saudi Arabia.
