AE Smith partners with BuildingIQ

Mechanical services contractor AE Smith has become a key Australian strategic partner of BuildingIQ - energy management software that actively predicts and manages HVAC loads in commercial buildings.

Originally developed by CSIRO, BuildingIQ software intelligently predicts and optimises energy demand in commercial buildings. It continuously monitors inputs including weather, occupancy, demand response events and energy prices, with all data compiled in a dynamic model. Complex computational algorithms then inform incremental adjustments to temperature and pressure via direct communication with the existing building management system.

The software is sold as a monthly ‘pay as you go’ subscription. It requires no mechanical infrastructure upgrades or upfront capital expenditure and is generally cash flow positive within the first year. Reducing energy waste in both new and existing buildings, it has proved effective across a broad range of commercial building uses around the world, including offices, government, shopping centres and hospitals.

“When BuildingIQ is installed, we see immediate reductions in energy use, with buildings recording between 10-25% HVAC energy savings annually,” said Roy Arindam, BuildingIQ’s national director of sales. “With no upfront investment, and only weeks to install, there is virtually no risk for building owners to implement the software.”

With AE Smith a strategic partner of BuildingIQ in the Australian market, the company offers existing and new clients a solution to help reduce their HVAC energy usage. According to Arindam, “The combination of our leading predictive optimisation technology and AE Smith’s engineering expertise and size in the Australian market will help many building owners save a lot of money on energy and ensure tenant comfort.”

In addition to the energy savings, BuildingIQ can reduce a building’s carbon footprint and improve its sustainability score by up to a full NABERS point. AE Smith’s national sustainability engineer, David Odd, sees predictive optimisation as a necessary part of maintaining a building’s NABERS Energy rating, noting “you need to constantly review and optimise your HVAC systems to maintain your NABERS rating”.