The control interfaces at Echelon display live data about energy demand in the buildings. Green dots in this image show sensors detecting the presence of a person in a room.
The digital technologies reduce maintenance costs, according to Echelon. For instance, fewer cables and electrical wires need to be run for installation. And systems can even monitor pressure within air conditioning and heating ducts to show when they need to be cleaned, eliminating the need for physical inspections.
Due to lack of funding, the company scrapped original plans for the headquarters to operate off-grid. However, it had already created space for a pair of diesel generators. Echelon's buildings follow Energy Star settings and are enrolled with demand response company EnerNOC.
Photo by Elsa Wenzel/CNET Networks
Caption by
Elsa Wenzel
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