ASHRAE Headquarters Net-Zero Retrofit

ASHRAE is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. ASHRAE is an industry leader and is dedicated to promoting a healthy and sustainable built environment being the creator of BACnet, a protocol and set of standards for the HVAC industry.

ASHRAE was set to open a new global headquarters and required an intelligent workplace solution to support their employees and visitors. Given their reputation as industry leaders in research and education about HVAC and building efficiency, the solution needed to provide a next-generation workplace experience for employees and visitors, in turn reflecting their vision for the organization and showcasing the latest developments in building technology. The solution needed to integrate many disparate IT and OT technology systems, cater for numerous stakeholder journeys, support a carbon-neutral plan for the entire building and reduce operating costs.

Our Role in Achieving Sustainability

Almost all outcomes for PlaceOS come down to efficiency. The efficiency of the user and the efficiency of the building. This is primarily achieved through automation. PlaceOS sets conditions and triggers actions so the space can adapt to the user’s needs in real-time.

Building Experience

An example of this is when a user walks into a room, the space is configured automatically, there is no need for anyone to take action like turning the lights or AC on.

Sustainability

The same example contributes towards building efficiency. Lights no longer operate off a rigid schedule, they turn on and off based on need. PlaceOS controls all of this.

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Workplace Application

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Kiosk Maps

For display on touch enabled public kiosks within the building. Displays room and open space availability and occupancy at a glance, along with environment sensor information.

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Automation

Automation is one of the most powerful aspects of PlaceOS. This is where the contributions towards meeting ASHRAE’s sustainability targets happen.

All of the PlaceOS components and configurations are managed in Backoffice. Admins can view module state and execute manual commands on any integrated services/devices.

They can automate workflows and create triggers.

Outcomes

• ASHRAE Net Zero Headquarters Renovation was amongst the winners at the 2022 AIA Georgia Design & Honor Awards Event.
• Connected existing technology systems to deliver tailored user experiences across the entire building.
• Implemented core features; room booking, discrete climate control, HVAC data and control via the BMS integration, and occupancy analytics.
• Providing real-time occupancy data to external services for more responsive automation of climate control.
• Allow real-time air quality data from BACnet to be viewed by staff in a user-friendly manner within a responsive web app.
• Recommendations for spaces to book based on real-time location, future bookings, the user's line of service, and more.
• New front-end interfaces that provide dynamic content with recommendations for free spaces, available rooms, and colleague locations based on real-time location, booking, and other data sources.
• Automated and manual control of in-room lights and blinds to suit detected meeting type, based on Cisco WebEx Endpoint data.
• Store status changes of any tracked integration points within a time series database (InfluxDB) for retrospective analysis by building management/space planners, so that data-driven decisions can be made for more effective use of the space.
• Provide reports on room utilization and occupancy.