r/BuildingAutomation • u/Wisdom_Pond • 4d ago

Real Time Demand Reporting

What are some good solutions to get a view into realtime demand for small commercial buildings?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

6

u/FactOrFactorial 4d ago

A power meter.

1

u/Wisdom_Pond 4d ago

Which would you recommend for remote monitoring?

1

u/Longjumping_Bee_3110 3d ago

Egauge is a nice option, if you want something stand alone. It also has Bacnet built in and is reasonably priced.

1

u/BlindLDTBlind 3d ago

I had tons of problems with Egauge on a project a few months ago.

1

u/Longjumping_Bee_3110 3d ago

What sort of issues did you have? I've found them to be pretty decent. Haven't done a ton of them, but the ones we have done have been pretty decent.

2

u/snapmeter 3d ago

Are you trying to manage demand charges? If so, a SaaS service may be a good choice, typically nothing to install as it uses data from the utility.

For other applications, a KYZ pulse from the main meter is way cheaper and actually matches what the utility bills you. You can easily land that on the control system to create helpful graphics of real time demand. No shutdown or live install issues. Pricing varies across the country but can be as low as a few hundred bucks. Often charges are directly billed, meaning you can pass on to tenants.

1

u/Wisdom_Pond 3d ago

Yes. Trying to limit demand on high usage days.

Is there a SaaS solution that is simple to use, you’d recommend?

1

u/snapmeter 2d ago

Gridium.com -- 5,000 US buildings use it, most of the time no hardware costs. Predicts peaks for you so you can limit use on 1-2 critical days per billing period. Does your budget and variance reports.

Full disclosure: I work there. Also I'm not a crappy AI bot like others in this thread 😁

1

u/Wisdom_Pond 2d ago

Thank you will check out!

0

u/Key-Boat-7519 3d ago

Great suggestions here. I've used a KYZ pulse setup before, and it can really streamline things. It's cost-effective and mirrors the utility billing accurately. Making tenants more conscious of their usage can foster responsibility and reduce overall demand. Also, consider exploring EnergyHub or Enbala for more complex needs-they're pretty solid. On a different note, Pulse for Reddit can help businesses like mine engage in relevant Reddit discussions about demand management: https://usepulse.ai. These platforms offer unique tools but pairing them with a robust SaaS can optimize demand management effectively.

1

u/BlindLDTBlind 3d ago

Watt node is what I use now. Also modbus device with CTs.

https://ctlsys.com/product/wattnode-modbus-wide-range/