Electrical Engineering Solutions

Spiraling energy costs in South Africa are emphasizing the urgent need for energy-saving buildings, especially when it comes to commercial buildings, such as offices. 

In fact with the global emphasis on adherence to green principles and the creation of a green environment, increasing interest is being shown worldwide in energy efficient infrastructures.

Project managing a remote utility usage project is Electrical Engineering Solutions (EES), which is using Software As A Service (SAAS) technology to monitor and manage energy usage.  EES is an ISO 9000 certified electrical engineering company, which offers engineering, project management and business management solutions. 

The company is using its own office block in Silverberg Terrace, Westlake, Cape Town, as a case study in the usage of SAAS technology to reduce energy.  The service is managed by remote servers in a data centre using internet technology. 

EES was appointed by the body corporate in 2008 to manage the implementation of a system to monitor energy usage, provide information on which to manage utility consumption, check whether utility billing is accurate, and advise on power-saving strategies to reduce energy costs. 

Both the procurement and implementation phases of the project have been completed, and meters have now been installed.

“The meters are monitoring and measuring energy usage and in so doing providing crucial information and data,” says Bradley Hemphill, Managing Director of EES.  “Graphs based on this data have been compiled to show tenant profiles and their exact energy usage over a 24-hour period.”

Exactly what energy is being consumed by each of the tenants at each time of day is now known, and the final step, the design of the actual energy saving system, is underway. 

“We are now at the stage where we can take action to achieve concrete savings”, explains Hemphill.  “From the base the graphs provide, tenants will be able to measure whether the energy-saving policies they have put in place are effective and saving them money.”  

This system provides users with an auditable matrix enabling them to see and prove energy savings achieved. 

Commercial buildings which address energy efficiency and green issues are bound to attract more tenants and facility managers in future, something which is being increasingly apparent to developers and commercial property owners.  It is therefore expected that this system will soon be utilized in the same manner by other office blocks and commercial buildings.