The Client is a Hotel in Dubai, This tower in question serves as a symbol of Dubai’s grandeur, standing tall as a testament to innovation and progress. As with any modern structure, the management of energy consumption plays a vital role in its operations. By monitoring and optimizing energy usage, the tower’s owners sought to conserve resources, reduce costs, and enhance environmental sustainability.

The main Objective : Monitoring, Control, and Optimization of Energy Consumption. The primary objective of this project was to implement a comprehensive energy management system that would enable real-time monitoring, precise control, and intelligent optimization of energy consumption throughout the tower. This initiative aimed to strike a balance between comfort, functionality, and energy efficiency.

By Analyzing the building, many connectivity challenges appeared, each challenge  will be described as well as how Ark overcame these challenges.

Problem 1: Lack of Internet Connectivity for Existing Systems:

A significant challenge emerged when it was discovered that the tower’s two existing systems, the Building Management System (BMS) and the Central Plant Management (CPM), were not connected to the internet. This posed a hindrance to obtaining real-time data and leveraging cloud-based analytics for effective energy management.

Problem 2: Incompatibility of BMS Communication:

The next hurdle arose when it was discovered that the BMS system lacked compatibility with the newly installed gateway. Without a compatible communication protocol, the seamless transfer of data for analysis and control became unachievable.

Problem 3: Network Segmentation and Incompatible IPs:

Another complexity surfaced when it was revealed that the BMS and CPM systems operated on separate networks with different IP addresses. Connecting these systems to a single gateway became an unattainable goal due to their inherent network segmentation.

Approach 1: Installing a Gateway for Data Acquisition

Ark Energy, as the client’s consultant, made the decision to install a gateway that could collect and transmit data from the BMS and CPM systems to a centralized monitoring and control platform to overcome the connectivity limitation. This gateway would serve as the bridge between the legacy systems and the modern energy management solution.

Approach 2: BMS Programming and BACnet Protocol:

To address this challenge, the client embarked on a project to reprogram the BMS system. By incorporating the BACnet protocol, a widely accepted industry standard for building automation systems, the BMS was able to communicate with the gateway effectively. This breakthrough allowed for the smooth flow of data, paving the way for efficient energy management.

Approach 3:  Installation of Multiple Gateways:

To resolve this challenge, a solution was devised to install two separate gateways—one for each system. This approach allowed the BMS and CPM systems to retain their network segmentation while still facilitating data transmission to the centralized monitoring and control platform.

By integrating two gateways, and reprogramming the BMS, the tower’s management is now able to effectively monitor, control, and optimize energy consumption.

The effective implementation of the EMIS resulted in identification of sensors malfunctions, metering deficiencies, intermittent low standards of comforts and savings opportunities that enabled the building to recuperate the investment of the building within five months.