Johnson Controls enters into an agreement to test and deploy energy analysis tool in buildings

Johnson Controls has entered into an agreement with CBRE, World Resources Institute (WRI) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) to test and deploy an open-source, web-based energy analysis tool to identify energy efficient retrofit opportunities in commercial buildings.

The initiative is part of the Johnson Controls and CBRE Innovation Lab, which was established three years ago to evaluate, connect and leverage products, services and energy data to create value for occupiers and investors of real estate.

Retrofit opportunities

The initiative also supports the Building Efficiency Accelerator, a public-private collaboration that accelerates local government implementation of building efficiency policies and programs where Johnson Controls serves the role of co-convener along with the World Resources Institute.

Berkeley Lab is working with Johnson Controls to automate and improve the LEAN energy analysis tool

Johnson Controls developed the LEAN energy analysis technology over the past eight years and has used the tool to analyse retrofit opportunities in over 700 buildings. Berkeley Lab is working with Johnson Controls to automate and improve the LEAN energy analysis tool and create an open-source version of the tool for public use. CBRE will be an initial deployment partner, using the tool to help their enterprise customers target cost-effective energy efficiency retrofit opportunities across their real estate portfolios.

Drive greater investment

WRI will use the open-source tool to help local governments around the world target the best opportunities for retrofitting public and private buildings within their jurisdictions. “This is a big step forward in providing commercial, institutional and government building owners and managers with open-source, easy-to-use tools to target building efficiency improvement opportunities,” said Clay Nesler, vice president, global sustainability and regulatory affairs, Johnson Controls.

“We believe this initiative will help drive greater investment in energy efficiency by turning readily available, monthly building energy consumption data into specific, cost-effective recommendations for improvement.”