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Most professionals in the building industry know, and can mention, various smart and reliable systems for demand controlled ventilation (DCV). These systems feature a set of functionalities, all aimed at keeping the indoor climate healthy and comfortable. Most of these systems measure temperature, air quality and room presence continuously and enable adjustments if deviations occur. However, what is often overlooked is that the same data can be used far beyond climate control. Our expert, Philip Andersson, Product Manager Digital Services, will explain this further.
An indoor climate system often measures CO₂, temperature, humidity and room occupancy around the clock. The collected data drives ventilation and temperature control by initiating airflow and heating/cooling adjustments to meet the actual demands indoors. With that, these systems paint a detailed picture of how a building is actually used. That picture shows which spaces are occupied and when, and what the indoor climate is like when spaces are used or unused.
What then happens is that most data stays within the HVAC system. If a property owner wants to use it for something else, such as in a workspace platform, an energy management system, or simply to gain a better understanding of building operation, custom integrations are necessary. These are possible to do, but rarely worth the time and effort.
Occupancy data is not used by other systems
Think about what a room-level sensor in an indoor climate solution actually can say. It shows whether rooms are in use or not, and what the indoor climate conditions are like. It does not count people, but CO₂ readings are a well-established proxy for how heavily a space is used. When this information is combined with presence detection and temperature data, a surprisingly useful estimate of occupancy levels can be presented.
The collected presence data, when imported into a workspace management platform, can show which rooms are in use rather than only the ones that are booked. CO₂ data, combined with temperature and supply airflow, provide a good indication on how many people are in the room and how intensively it is being used. Together, this can give facility managers a data-driven picture of how their space is used over time, supporting decisions such as layout changes, floor consolidations and lease negotiations.
Energy peaks are reacted to, not proactively met
Now, consider what an energy cost really is. It is not only the sum of the total consumption, but also the outcome of when energy is used. Charges tied to peak power use can make up a significant share of the energy bill. The common response has then been to reduce HVAC output when peaks occur. However, this can negatively affect the indoor climate.
If an energy management system knows that energy prices will peak between 8 and 10 am on a Tuesday morning, the HVAC system can use the preceding hours to pre-condition the indoor space. This means cooling the space one or two degrees below setpoint and increasing ventilation. That way, a thermal buffer is built while energy is cheaper and when peak hours begin, the solution can reduce output while keeping indoor climate conditions within acceptable limits.
Data for sustainability reporting is locked in
A last piece of thought, reporting requirements are increasing. Frameworks such as CSRD, EU Taxonomy and ESG require granular data on building performance and indoor climate. The same applies to certification schemes such as BREEAM and LEED. Extensive data on CO₂ levels, temperature stability, ventilation rates and occupancy patterns is of particular interest.
This data already exists in advanced HVAC solutions. However, extracting it is often time-consuming as the typical process requires a lot of manual work. The HVAC data may not replace or fully align with an energy metering setup, but it covers most of what these frameworks and certification bodies need.
INSIDE Integration unties the knots
At Swegon, we have developed a service to make the data accessible and usable via a standardised API, it is called INSIDE Integration. The API enables workspace management platforms, energy management systems and reporting tools to retrieve required data directly from the HVAC system. INSIDE Integration also allows authorised systems to write control overrides to individual products.
This means that facility managers can better understand how the building is used, energy platforms or building management systems can adjust and fine-tune HVAC operation to avoid peak energy costs without compromising the indoor climate and reporting can be handled more efficiently.
INSIDE Integration enables a shift from ensuring a good indoor climate on predicted use, last-minute load cuts and time consuming reporting, to an operation based on actual demand, a proactive approach with pre-conditioning of the building and reporting based on automatically exported data.
Access is secured and controlled
INSIDE Integration makes all mentioned data available via a API built on the RealEstateCore framework. Access is secured and controlled, and the property owner decides which service and systems providers can use the data. From there, it can be shared with the platforms and tools these providers use, without proprietary connectors or middleware. In short, it is not another system or platform that needs to be implemented.
Many building related systems can export data but only a few give authorised external systems control capabilities in a structured, consistent and interoperable way. The data model for INSIDE Integration is standardised and accessible. This is what makes INSIDE Integration stand out.
Who benefits from using INSIDE Integration
This benefits several stakeholders across the building lifecycle. Property owners gain support for energy optimisation, utilisation insights and sustainability reporting. Facility teams can improve space management and plan services proactively while maintaining a comfortable indoor climate. IT and digital teams value systems that avoid lock-in and sustainability functions get better access to relevant data.
In sum, INSIDE Integration provides a secure and standardised way to use building data and control capabilities within the existing systems an organisation already uses.
