Unlocking Energy Savings with 15-Minute Interval Data

This week, we explored one of the most powerful tools for building performance in our webinar on 15-minute interval energy data. If you’ve ever wondered how real-time insights can transform your energy strategy, this session was packed with practical examples, expert tips, and actionable strategies. From shrinking your daily load curve to leveraging solar and demand response, here’s what you need to know to start saving energy and money today.

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Why Real-Time Energy Data Matters

Most buildings rely on monthly utility bills for energy insights—one data point per month. While useful for setting baselines, this approach misses countless opportunities for optimization. Enter 15-minute interval data: instead of 12 data points a year, you get 3,000 per month, creating a granular view of building performance.

This level of detail is transformative. It’s common to achieve 15% annual energy savings simply by leveraging interval data because it reveals inefficiencies invisible in monthly summaries.

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The Daily Load Curve: Your Hidden Treasure

Think of your building’s daily energy use as a load curve, a graph from midnight to midnight. Every square inch under that curve represents money spent. The goal? Shrink the curve. Lower peaks, reduce baseload, and optimize operations.

Patterns in the curve tell a story:

• Startup spikes at 6 AM as HVAC and lighting kick in

• Stable daytime loads during lease hours

• Nighttime baseload, often higher than necessary

• These insights empower teams to make immediate, measurable changes.

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Real Examples: Nighttime Energy Use

One striking case: comparing January vs. June for the same building. January’s overnight load ranged from 400–800 kW, while June held steady at 300 kW. Why the winter spike? Likely unnecessary heating. Interval data exposes these anomalies, enabling zero-cost fixes like adjusting setpoints and sequence of operations.

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Operational Tweaks = Big Savings

Jonathan and Luke shared practical strategies:

• Optimize startup times based on weather

• Prevent simultaneous heating and cooling, a common culprit for wasted energy

• Audit weekends and holidays—energy use should drop significantly

• Empower engineers with real-time visibility to experiment and validate changes

• These adjustments cost nothing yet deliver substantial savings.

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Solar’s Role: The “Fangs” Effect

Buildings with solar arrays show dramatic dips in load curves, what Jonathan calls “solar fangs.” These reductions aren’t operational changes; they’re solar production offsetting grid consumption. Beyond energy savings, solar helps cut capacity charges, which have skyrocketed in regions like PJM (up to 10x in some cases).

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Demand Response and Peak Load Management

Demand response isn’t just about reacting to grid calls. Interval data enables proactive strategies:

• Pre-cool or coast buildings during peak hours

• Adjust chilled water temperatures, but monitor fan behavior to avoid unintended spikes

• Target PLC (Peak Load Contribution) reductions for major financial impact

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Healthy Buildings and Indoor Air Quality

Energy efficiency and occupant health go hand in hand. Monitoring CO₂, humidity, and particulates alongside energy data creates a holistic view. Better ventilation strategies can save energy while improving air quality, supporting certifications like FitWell and LEED.

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The Tech Stack: Start Simple

Before investing in AI-driven platforms or digital twins, tackle the basics:

• Zero-cost operational changes (nighttime setbacks, startup optimization)

• Low-cost advanced controls (ASHRAE 36 strategies like temperature resets)

• Fault detection and analytics—valuable, but not the first step

• CapEx upgrades and renewables—solar, VFDs, etc.

• Empowering engineers with actionable data often beats expensive software.

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Key Takeaways

• Data is power. 15-minute interval data turns guesswork into precision

• Start with no-cost strategies. They deliver the highest ROI

• Empower your team. A curious engineer with the right tools can outperform any algorithm

• Think holistically. Energy savings, occupant comfort, and sustainability are interconnected

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Ready to unlock savings? Check if your utility offers rebates for real-time metering and operational improvements. Many programs provide substantial incentives—Jonathan shared a recent example of a $70,000 rebate in Atlanta.

Missed the webinar? Click here to watch the replay. Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights and join our next webinar to keep learning.

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