Johnson Controls Launches "Building Data Donation" Program with US DoE

Johnson Controls recently launched a new Building Data Donation campaign in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL). This new program is designed to encourage existing Johnson Controls Enterprise Management and Metasys customers to voluntarily contribute commercial building energy data to support the DOE’s research efforts in building-to-grid integration and advanced sensing and controls.

Customers participating in the Building Data Donation campaign reportedly will share one or more years of historical building electrical usage data at hourly or shorter intervals. Sub-metering data at a space, system or equipment level and indications of building occupancy are desired, although not required, to participate in the campaign.

Johnson Controls is encouraging customers to donate energy data to NREL for research that will drive increased efficiency in our energy supply as renewable energy, electric vehicle chargers and supercomputers become more prevalent. Building data will be anonymized by NREL researchers and used to understand dynamic building energy usage based on building type, location, weather and occupancy. Johnson Controls customers in all 50 states represent a huge potential resource of energy usage data that can help drive technology innovation, design utility incentive programs and develop strategies for integrated resource planning and demand management.

“Our customers are among the most sophisticated in the country, leveraging advanced building management and energy analytics platforms to optimize their building performance and improve organizational outcomes including sustainability,” said Clay Nesler, VP, global sustainability and regulatory affairs, Johnson Controls. “This campaign will allow our customers to support cutting edge research that is defining the future of grid-integrated, smart buildings and communities.”

“Data donated through this initiative will be instrumental to research on modeling how and when energy is used in the U.S. building stock,” said Eric Wilson, senior research engineer in the Buildings & Thermal Sciences Center at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). “This will enable the research community to better understand how innovative technologies can make buildings play an active role in making the U.S. electricity system more reliable, affordable and sustainable.”