Pure energy waste: buildings are heated and cooled far too much in spring
Conventional control systems are overwhelmed by the large temperature differences and weather changes in spring and autumn. The result: thousands of euros, dollars and pounds are wasted on heating.
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Cold nights, warm days, sudden sunshine after hours of cloud – spring is full of unpredictable weather. These fluctuations are a major challenge for traditional building technology, leading to high levels of energy waste during the transitional seasons of spring and autumn. In short, heating, cooling and ventilation are used unnecessarily.
Our long-term analysis of the past five years shows just how much untapped savings potential there is: in the buildings we manage*, savings during the transitional months of March to May and September to November are consistently above the annual average – averaging over 30 per cent.
Conversely, if such high savings are achievable during the transitional seasons, then significant amounts of energy are currently being wasted unnecessarily. Solutions to stop this energy waste have long been available – while maintaining, or even improving, indoor comfort.
Why is energy consumption so high in spring and autumn?
The phenomenon of high energy waste during the transitional seasons is not surprising: while it is often still cold at night, daytime temperatures – depending on the weather – can rise above 20 degrees. Unlike in summer or winter, when temperatures are relatively stable, conditions in spring and autumn can vary widely within just a few hours.
This dynamic overwhelms traditional control systems based on simple if-then logic or rigid schedules. The core issue is that such systems are reactive rather than proactive. Often static and based on past data, they heat or cool in response to conditions that have already occurred. This leads to overheated rooms that then require cooling, or ventilation systems running at full capacity – all at the expense of energy, money and CO₂.
To illustrate this with an analogy: if you are driving at 100 km/h and only begin to slow down after passing a 50 km/h sign, you are forced to brake sharply – wasting kinetic energy as heat. With predictive driving, you begin slowing down in advance and act proactively. Ideally, you won’t need to brake at all, and no energy is lost.
The strengths of a digital, autonomous solution
This is where the strength of a powerful, predictive and autonomous system – one that understands heating, ventilation and air conditioning as a single, integrated unit – really comes into its own. It combines real-time building data with weather forecasts, solar trajectories and usage profiles, enabling it to identify appropriate actions in advance.
If, for example, it’s still cold at 8 a.m. but strong sunshine and rising outdoor temperatures are forecast for 10 a.m., the system can reduce heating output in good time and in a targeted manner. This saves energy without allowing the space to cool down. It also prevents overheating at midday and avoids unnecessary cooling.
The more volatile the weather and outside temperatures, the more dynamically the control system needs to respond. That’s why we’ve configured our system to send a new set of HVAC control parameters every 15 minutes – but based on longer-term forecasts, such as 24-hour outdoor temperatures and expected sunshine duration.
The result: HVAC systems operate within their optimum partial load range – without compromising comfort.
This kind of continuous, optimal control would be impossible to achieve manually. With so many different input variables (up to several thousand) and numerous control outputs, establishing an optimal control strategy by hand is simply not feasible. Even experienced building technicians and FM staff could not manage this level of complexity unaided.
Smart control should be used in every building
The key takeaway: especially in times of high variability, buildings need systems that actively make use of this complexity. Spring and autumn provide clear examples of why every building should be equipped with autonomous, predictive and intelligent control systems. This is the best way to prevent excessive and unnecessary energy waste.
A good, smart and digital solution unlocks energy savings that have always existed – but could never be realised without predictive control. It works well in summer and winter. And even better in spring and autumn.
* > 4.5 million square metres: office and commercial buildings, shopping centres, hotels, industrial buildings. Savings refer to kilowatt hours used for heating, ventilation and cooling, supplied by various energy sources such as electricity, gas, district heating and others.
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