Frequently Asked Questions

Why use the Smart Locus service if there is an expert on site constantly working on improving our energy efficiency?

An expert, most likely, still wants to oversee the system’s activities, but the routine tasks are better left to Smart Locus. It is simply more cost effective and more energy-savings-effective because the SLI algorithms can automatically manage dynamic and complex systems better than a human.

I already have controllers installed and functioning. What budget and resources should I plan to allocate to install your service?

By connecting the BASsystem via the Internet. SmartLocus’ solution dramatically improves existing controllers’ efficiency while not requiring capital investments in new BASequipment. What is required is that a system administrator will need to configure internet access for SmartLocus and the rest is done automatically. No additional support resources or budgets are required.

If I want to use this service for my existing installations do I need to buy and install additional BAS equipment?

Usually one would see a certain level of savings by simply connecting the Smart Locus service to the existing installation. SLI leverages the existing BMS infrastructure by providing savings of up to 50%-70%. Of course, the more advanced your infrastructure is, the higher the savings that can be potentially realized.

This is a new product – I‘d like to proceed but how do I do this cautiously?

SmartLocus mitigates the risks by providing a staged approach for implementation of our solution. First, we gather your building’s data and issue a report of the estimated savings and analysis of your system that can be achieved with. In no way does this stage affects the tenants. Only after this stage has been completed and upon the building manager’s approval, does the SmartLocus system opens the deep insights building information and optimization suggestions for comfort and energy savings. the HVAC. SmartLocus technology allows the actual optimization of the BASsystem to be implemented via a staged approach. The optimization activities could start with a part of the building as small as a single zone, only a handful of zones, single or multiple floors or a larger portion of the entire building. A building manager chooses a SmartLocusow or fast-paced manner by the SmartLocus solution- whatever the building manager is most comfortable.

Additional layer of software on a top of BAS configuration introduces additional complexity– I’d like to proceed but do I eliminate the risk of introducing malfunctions?

Besides the above approach of not interfering with the plant operations (the entire building is never affected) and gradually and selectively expanding the zones’ optimization, Smart Locus has built-in safety mechanisms – such as, in case of a glitch the system goes back to default configuration programmed into the controllers, manual overwrite features, and predictive potential failures and system mismanagement.

What happens if the Internet connection goes down?

The system goes back to its default configuration which is programmed into the controllers.

Will the engineer still have control of the system?

Yes. We install a small app on the BMS which, with one click, stops the SmartLocus service.

I can give you the data from my system. Why install a plug-in?

The typical BMS provides only trending data which might be limited to temperature. These data are normally acquired over a one hour time interval. The SmartLocus system requires multi-parameter data over a very granular 5-10 minute time interval.

I already have a very optimized system. I don’t think you can deliver any additional savings.

This is a false belief. Just because individual zones are optimized doesn’t mean that this optimization willdeliver savings. This is simply because the zones affect each other. In fact, in some cases, the energy usage may increase in an optimized system. SmartLocus uses a “black box” approach: the engine optimizes each zone under the consideration of how it affects the others while using additional information such as weather, occupancy, etc.

What do people usually want to see from the SmartInsights product?

It depends on the individual client’s needs. We’ve seen requests from energy managers to see detailed energy distribution in the building, historical sensor data, comparison plots to track down energy leaks, information for equipment going on and off-line, and other requests. What is important is that we have the data and we can deliver customized visualizations of it according to unique requests.