This winter has been significantly colder than the previous one across Northern Europe, with temperatures in Riga dropping to -19 °C, placing exceptional pressure on office building energy systems and indoor climate control. In such conditions, outdated BMS infrastructures often struggle to balance occupant comfort with rising heating demand, leading to unnecessary energy losses and inefficient equipment operation. In this article, we present a detailed breakdown of a medium-sized office building (Area 12,278 m², Air exchange 24,555 m³/h) with a glass façade, analyzing how energy data analytics, BMS improvements, and HVAC optimization can deliver measurable results during extreme winter conditions. Using Smart Energy Meter Management and Indoor Climate Intelligence solutions, energy and indoor climate data were continuously collected and analyzed to optimize HVAC operation in real time. The system enabled data-driven control of heat consumption based on indoor conditions and external temperature. The results presented are based on a real client implementation in low outdoor temperature conditions.
Existing System Overview and Identified Limitations
The medium-sized office building operates with an outdated BMS system developed in 2011, limiting its ability to manage energy efficiently under current winter conditions. A glass façade contributes to increased heat losses and elevated heating energy consumption.
Key challenges included:
- Limited real-time visibility into energy use
- Reliance on periodic or manual meter readings
- Static HVAC control unable to adapt to low outdoor temperatures
During winter operation, these constraints resulted in higher energy use and uneven indoor thermal conditions, directly affecting occupant comfort and workplace productivity.
Project Scope
The objective of this study was to collect data from the existing BMS, perform detailed energy analysis, and identify the primary energy consumers within the building. Based on the findings, targeted recommendations for system optimization were developed.
Solution
In contrast to legacy monitoring, where energy data was typically updated monthly or manually, this implementation established continuous digital data flows by installing additional energy meters and fully integrating them with the existing BMS. Data from all meters and sensors were collected, visualized, and analyzed to provide a detailed understanding of energy consumption and HVAC performance, enabling precise identification of major energy users and informed operational adjustments.
Key implementation steps included:
- Adjusting HVAC operation based on building use and external conditions.
- Implementing an adaptive control system for indoor climate, which regulated conditions considering:
- Solar radiation;
- Indoor temperature;
- Outdoor air temperature;
- Building thermal inertia.
The system leveraged Smart Energy Meter Management for continuous, remote monitoring of energy consumption. In parallel, Indoor Climate Intelligence monitored temperature, humidity, and CO₂, visualizing conditions with heat maps and comfort scores and sending alerts when parameters deviated from targets. This allowed faster responses, reduced occupant complaints, and provided a clear view of comfort patterns across zones. Together, these upgrades shifted the building from reactive to proactive, data-driven management, enhancing both energy efficiency and indoor environment quality.
Results:
The measures delivered a 17% reduction in heating energy during the last heating season and 12% during the cooling season, achieving a full return on investment in just 3.5 months.
