FROM REFRIGERATION TO AUTOMATION
“ We have been in the commercial and the homebuilding space as long as any company . With that you gain a certain amount of unique knowledge on how buildings perform , and how they should perform ”
– Scott Tew , Executive Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
long as any company . With that you gain a certain amount of unique knowledge on how buildings perform , and how they should perform .”
With the advent of ‘ smart ’ technologies , buildings can virtually monitor their own operations . Ingersoll Rand ’ s range of systems allow owners and occupants to manage their environments based upon information provided to them by the structures themselves .
“ Our entrance into the Internet of Things were developments to connect mechanical systems and automate them ,” Tew says . The company ’ s goal is to take “ human behaviour , and sometimes misbehavior ” out of the equation . “ The more a person knows about how something is working , the more options they have for managing it ,” Tew explains .
Nexia , a home automation system , is one of the products Ingersoll Rand offers to help consumers understand how their homes use resources . It works by connecting devices — from HVAC systems to appliances to lighting — to a central hub . The ‘ Nexia Bridge ’ then transmits information about the home ’ s performance to its owner ’ s chosen device , be it a tablet , mobile phone or computer .
“ I think optimisation , whether we ’ re talking about a commercial building or a home , happens when we connect all of these various systems together and gain some insights ,” says Tew . “ I ’ m a huge believer in continuing to search for the data that gives you the right insight .”
Making homes more efficient doesn ’ t just result in savings for consumers — reducing energy use also benefits the environment .
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