Every summer, energy expenditure for air conditioning systems increases steadily in most companies. At Sirea, we have decided to take the plunge and automate the control of air conditioning according to the energy produced by our photovoltaic carport deployed this winter.
On sunny days, it is warmer in the offices, and everyone can easily turn on the air conditioning to get a little freshness in their office. But the use of air conditioning, even in “economy” mode, is not optimised to limit unnecessary energy consumption and waste. This is why we wanted to play our cards right by significantly reducing the costs associated with the use of our air conditioners thanks to our energy manager, SmartEMS.
Indeed, the more sunshine there is, the more energy the photovoltaic panels will be able to provide to power these air conditioning systems. It then becomes interesting to use them in a way that is proportional to the production of our solar carport. As a result, the energy required to power the air conditioning systems no longer comes from the electricity grid but directly from the photovoltaic carport, guaranteeing reasonable comfort in the offices and avoiding waste.
So, SmartEMS makes it possible to considerably optimise the company’s energy efficiency. It controls the air conditioning systems by playing on the inertia of the building and the energy production by the photovoltaic system.
The advantage of this device is its simplicity of deployment considering his compatibility with most of air conditioners manufacturers.(Daikin, Samsung, Toshiba, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic or Midea), which avoids any equipment replacement.
The intelligent manager communicates with WiFi gateways that then communicate infrared with the air conditioners. The intelligence resides in the SmartEMS algorithm, which has been programmed to control this equipment in priority over others.
Among the many management possibilities, the combination of photovoltaics with automated air-conditioning management is an opportunity to be seized by many companies wishing to begin or continue their energy transition.
Bruno Bouteille, director of Sirea
Other deployments of this system should see the light by the end of the year, mainly in the overseas regions (Reunion Island), where thermal equipment accounts for a large share of energy consumption.