• Demand Response White Paper (PDF)
• Echelon and Energy Management

Demand Response in Action: Echelon's Headquarters

Echelon's San Jose, California headquarters shows how an entire network’s capabilities can be used to manage energy for automatic demand response programs. The facility integrates all key building subsystems — including security, lighting, elevator, and HVAC — into a single, smart building automation system based on LonWorks® technology.

Echelon's BAS was designed to lower both operating and maintenance costs on a daily basis without affecting employee comfort. For example, LonWorks enabled occupancy sensors keep lighting and temperature at desired levels when an office is in use, and minimize energy use when the space is unoccupied. Telecommuters can specify when they’re at work so the building doesn’t heat, cool, or light vacant rooms — even when motion is detected during the work week, becauses the system knows when rooms aren't scheduled for use.

Kenmark Real Estate, Echelon's facility management firm, monitors and controls the subsystems. An operator accesses the devices, either locally or remotely, through an Internet-connected PC. Remote control and access is enabled by Echelon’s i.LON® Internet server, which uses an Internet Protocol backbone to route data from the building’s subsystems to the operator.

The ability to directly access devices, offices, building sectors, and subsystems lets Kenmark not only respond quickly to customer needs, but also view the building’s energy usage at both micro and macro levels. The firm can drill down into individual electricity panels and circuits, as well as access energy usage data for both lighting and HVAC subsystems, and for the entire building.

Demand Response Pilot Program

In 2006, Echelon took part in a demand response pilot program conducted by the California Energy Commission's (CEC) Demand Response Research Council. (The DRRC is a joint research center of the CEC; Pacific Gas and Electric, Echelon’s local energy provider; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.)

PG&E e-mailed Kenmark the time and duration of the demand simulation 24 hours in advance; Kenmark’s Web services server then implemented the simulation at the appointed time. Once the server published the beginning of the demand event, Echelon's i.LON Internet servers (which were subscribed to the Web service) routed demand requests to the BAS. LonWorks enabled sensors reacted to the requests, lowering lights and room temperature in offices and common areas accordingly. (The study focused on demand requests to the building’s lighting and HVAC subsystems, since together, they constitute two-thirds of the company's total energy use.)

Two demand conditions were simulated: moderate (50 percent) and full (100 percent). During moderate shed, Echelon’s hallway lighting was shut down if adequate natural lighting was available, and offices were placed into an energy-saving mode. During full shed, one of the building’s three rooftop units was shut down, and supply temperature was raised from 55 to 65 degrees. Duct static pressure was lowered from 1.5 to 0.75 inches. To prevent a surge in energy use at the end of the demand response event, a ramp sequence was applied to both supply temperature and duct static pressure as conditioning was brought back online.

The Results

Echelon's headquarters was able to quickly reduce energy use by over 30 percent — more than any other participant in the program — without affecting building occupants. Based on the pilot program, Echelon's net return is 7 percent of a $300,000 annual energy budget. As a result, Echelon continues to take part in energy programs with third-party energy aggregators.