WebCTRL Environmental Index
Balancing Efficiency with Comfort
As energy prices continue to soar, facility managers are under increasing pressure to find ways to cut building operating costs. A simple solution would be to decrease energy consumption, but smart managers know that sacrificing comfort for energy savings could lead to even bigger financial problems. After all, studies have shown productivity decreases as comfort levels decline, leading to lost revenues in companies and difficult learning environments in school systems.
What's needed is a way to measure comfort, so managers would know exactly how far to cut energy usage without negatively impacting comfort. Automated Logic's Environmental Index provides the solution.
Since the key component of comfort is temperature, ALC's index starts with assigning point values based on the difference between zone temperature and heating and cooling set points. Other factors, such as humidity and CO2 levels, can also be computed into the numeric system to reflect one "comfort" score for all factors.
This is a powerful tool for facility managers who need to identify buildings with performance problems or ensure buildings don't become less efficient as changes are made. For more information on our energy solutions, please visit our Energy Management section.
