Last Spring Ken and I had the opportunity to interview a couple of very interesting characters, who put a new spin on how to make smart buildings smarter through the use of artificial intelligence. This is next-gen analytics! Dr. Igor Mezic, Ecorithm’s Chief Scientific and Technology Advisor & Co-Founder, and John Morris, VP Marketing and Sales ( John has moved on and is now the Operating Partner at Potomac Energy Fund), told ControlTrends about what inspired Igor to develop Ecorithm’s technology, why Ecorithm is able to provide faster and more accurate results that other analytics companies, and why Ecorithm’s SaaS is necessary for the entire lifetime of the system.
ControlTalk Rewind- Dr. Igor Mezic Artifical Intelligence in Smart Buildings from Eric Stromquist on Vimeo.
“To come up with the solution, we had to think at both the micro and macro level and design the software platform to accommodate everything in between. We came up with a very modular design in which the underlying foundation filters through the noise of the massive data sets and recognizes key patterns. On top of that is a layer of domain expertise that includes the physics of how the ‘healthy’ devices and systems are supposed to operate. And resting on top of that is an interface to quickly tailor the spatial and physical connectivity of devices in the virtual database to match the configuration and operation of each physical building. That means exceptionally quick start up and customization, highly detailed insight and root cause analysis, and easy integration of new devices or changes in configuration. Also, this makes the platform readily extendable beyond buildings to other complex systems as well.”
The Process works something like this:
- Ecorithm collects sensor data from the Building Management System (BMS) in your building or directly from your devices. Our secure methods send the data electronically from the facility to our cloud-based servers for automatic processing and analysis.
- Their onboarding process allows quick and efficient data tagging, enabling the transformation of your raw data into valuable analysis results in a matter of days compared to the weeks or months required for other analytics services. Ecorithm’s analysis methods are automatically applied based on the configuration of devices in your buildings – no programming or rule-writing is necessary.
- Ecorithm’s True Analytics™ platform provides enhanced Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics through applying advanced machine learning techniques, fast-sampling algorithms, and the spectral method. When used together, these methodologies enable extremely accurate diagnostics. Ecorithm is able to report the root cause of problems with zero false alarms. When our software reports a problem in your building, you can be sure it is impactful, persistent, and important.
- The True Analytics™ platform provides a web-based user interface where diagnostic results are posted automatically in a continuous fashion. The fully searchable and sortable results are built specifically for effective tracking of end user feedback. Ecorithm streamlines the process of identifying unwanted system behavior and suggests corrective actions for addressing identified issues. The Ecorithm team is also available to review periodic reports with customers so that they are completely in sync with results and understand the necessary steps to address reported problems
- Users of Ecorithm’s software enjoy many benefits including improved comfort, increased energy efficiency and reduced operational costs. Facility stakeholders are empowered with a deeper understanding of their systems and equipment, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective operation.
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