Commercial real estate (CRE) increasingly demands innovative solutions to enhance energy efficiency while prioritizing tenant comfort. The recent Buyer’s Guide: Energy Management Software (2024) from Verdantix spotlights Hank as a top-tier autonomous HVAC control solution designed to meet these dual imperatives.
With a deployment footprint exceeding 25 million square feet, primarily across the Americas, Hank is setting new standards in energy management and operational excellence. Hank is actively working to optimize equipment operation to realize the outcomes of:
- increased tenant comfort
- indoor air quality (IAQ) improvements
- energy savings
How Hank transforms HVAC management in CRE
In its report, Verdantix highlights the following Hank capabilities:
1. Uses a digital twin approach to unlock energy optimization
To use Hank’s proactive control system, users need to install a device called the Hank router, which connects directly to a building’s management system (BMS). In just two weeks, the system will gather enough data for its machine learning analytics to be effective and to create a digital twin of the building’s HVAC systems.
This process generates a comprehensive energy audit, highlighting energy-saving and comfort-enhancing strategies that can be implemented right away. Examples include zone-based scheduling and adjusting temperature setpoints based on outside temperatures. On average, these optimization measures result in a 20% reduction in tenant utility bills.
2. Controls HVAC equipment autonomously
Hank can send control signals back to the equipment via the installed gateway device, making small adjustments to optimize strategies based on its predictive algorithms. Hank has designed new control strategies that aim to meet key needs, such as energy efficiency and tenant comfort, while also extending the lifespan of HVAC equipment.
By avoiding control methods and scenarios that often cause early failure, this approach reduces building operating costs by cutting down on maintenance and lowering the frequency of equipment replacements.
3. Offers a remote monitoring service to maintain efficient building operation
Technology is important, but you can’t take the human element out of the equation. Hank provides an additional managed service that includes remote monitoring of building operations by support engineers.
These engineers work closely with on-site energy and maintenance teams, offering technical expertise and troubleshooting for both Hank software and building equipment. This external support also helps clients secure financial energy incentives from utilities or local and federal governments. The engineers compile the necessary information and reports and submit bids for these incentives on behalf of the customers.
4. Prioritizes further autonomous control development
In the next year, Hank plans to introduce more efficient machine learning algorithms to better predict equipment behavior and energy consumption. Looking further ahead, it aims to incorporate more extensive and relationship-based data sets into its forecasting, including peak demand data, utility pricing, and building occupancy. This will enable automated demand-response optimization.
A smarter, more efficient future
Hank stands at the forefront of energy management solutions within the CRE sector, seamlessly blending advanced technology with proactive human oversight. Through its innovative digital twin approach, autonomous HVAC control capabilities, comprehensive remote monitoring service, and commitment to continuous improvement, Hank delivers measurable outcomes in energy savings, tenant comfort, and indoor air quality.
As CRE professionals look to future-proof their properties and optimize operations, integrating Hank into their energy management strategy emerges as a clear choice. By harnessing Hank’s capabilities, buildings can achieve significant reductions in utility costs and maintenance expenses, enhancing overall operational efficiency and sustainability.
Reach out to an expert to learn how to embrace Hank to unlock a smarter, more efficient future for your properties.
