How aug·e helps Galeria Domar to save large amounts of energy
Galeria Domar has saved over 50.000€ so far by implementing smart heating algorithms provided by aug.e’s intelligent software and Eko Broker‘s operational excellence.
Galeria Domar is one of the largest shopping malls in Wrocław, Poland. There are over 100 stores offering furniture, home décor and lighting. The area of the facility is over 24.000 m2. Due to price increases, the managers decided to save on energy consumption and Eko Broker has taken up the challenge of reducing the building’s heating costs together with the aug.e platform.
Audit of the heating system
The first stage of the project was to audit the applying system. It is important to understand the current operating features in order to set up the most suitable and closer-to-your-needs solutions.
The building is heated by a structure called “district heating”, one of the most popular methods used in public infrastructure. In practice, it means that the heat is distributed by radiators and a mechanical ventilation system. The amount of heat in individual heating circuits is controlled by mixers and circulation pumps while a PLC controller regulates the operation of these devices.
Note that external temperature is the basic parameter to determine the amount of supplied energy.
Measurement
Eko Broker specialists proposed the system’s modernization by adding temperature sensors inside the building.
Once the inside temperatures are measured it is possible to regulate parameters of the heating system more effectively. Data from installed sensors are being sent to the PLC controller, as well as to aug·e – a specialized software for analyzing and optimizing the energy efficiency in buildings.
Through clear dashboards and 3D models, developers create a convenient visual representation of the building’s use and consumption.
Besides a stunning 3D digital rendering of the building, the digital twin is also an excellent way of standardising the data of all assets, which are often unconnected. In other words, it brings all data together into one coherent and connected whole, forming the basis for many applications and possibilities.
Aug·e manages all data in a well-organised inventory, called a digital twin. This is an integrated, digital library that covers all rooms, technical installations, energy flows, meters and submeters.
Optimization
Based on the analyses, Eko Broker’s specialists started to gradually modify the controllers’ settings in order to reduce energy consumption and, simultaneously, maintain the thermal comfort of users (tenants and customers). The activities were carried out based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act standard known also as the “Deming cycle”.
Once all the data has been mapped and made available, aug·e runs a host of powerful algorithms on them based on artificial intelligence. This allows the platform to expose potential issues in the building’s environment, but also to see where there is room for new services and functionalities. In this way, aug·e is constantly providing new opportunities to create added value in a wide variety of areas: energy savings, cost efficiency, increased comfort, community building, and even more.
The impact of the changes is analyzed each time, and further improvements are designed accordingly as the aug.e software is constantly learning.
Savings are calculated by using the EcoScada software in accordance with the IPMVP methodology. Thanks to it, it is possible to forecast actual savings regardless of the weather conditions that are constantly changing.
The method calculates the correlation between energy use and temperature changes over a given period. Based on the algorithms, it is possible to calculate the consumption levels and gain a better overview of the building’s current and future energy data.
Effects
Right from the beginning, the changes brought tangible savings, which increased after each optimization stage. In the heating season 2021-2022, the heat consumption of Galeria Domar got lower by over 40% without affecting the comfort of the building’s users.
Costs
Galeria Domar has used the 100% success fee formula. The changes to the gallery’s heating control system were made by Eko Broker at its own expense. The service is billed as a percentage of the savings generated.
The aug·e platform is deliberately open and transparent, allowing external developers to graft their own apps and ideas onto our system in a secure and accessible way. With the aug·e API, anyone can connect their own apps, independent of our programmers.
A successful strategy, thanks to our ecosystem is growing steadily: the number of applications and possibilities in the aug·e app on the Azure platform is constantly increasing; and it doesn’t stop there. Automated steering and control could be just one of the potential next steps.