Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, achieved $30,000 in energy savings eight months after deploying wireless, battery-free energy management technology from Magnum Energy Solutions, reports HPAC Engineering.
Before the smart thermostats, occupancy sensors and window sensors were installed, students were experiencing excessively high temperatures in their dorm rooms, causing them to leave their windows open almost year-round. The programmable thermostats that had been installed previously were too complicated, and students did not embrace them. With Magnum’s energy management technology, the HVAC system automatically turns off if a student opens his or her window. When a student leaves his or her room, the occupancy sensor signals the thermostat to go into eco-savings mode, lowering or raising the temperature to a setpoint established by the university.
Magnum’s software and access points were strategically located within the TCP/IP infrastructure in Kenyon’s residence halls so that the university can remotely configure, monitor, control and maintain the system. Energy consumption data is available to the college's facilities team in real time.
In addition to improving student comfort, the new system has also helped the university eliminate mold problems that resulted from overly cool, humid dorm rooms during the summer months.
The university deployed the system to 400 dorm rooms in 2012 and has since expended it to other dormitories and academic buildings across campus, according to HPAC Engineering.
