Automatic Controls (ACES) assisted Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Colorado (Anthem) to significantly reduce their building’s energy use even as associates and other occupants returned to the office in 2021.
Demand-side efficiency strategies drove down energy use by 26% from 2020 to 2021, and 50% from 2019-2021. Anthem achieved over $48,000 in annual savings as a result of efficiency initiatives. Once Anthem upgraded to the Automated Logic (ALC) WebCTRL building automation system (BAS), the team identified strategies to optimize energy efficiency.
Measures included:
- Adding variable frequency drives (VFDs)
- Repairing outdoor air dampers
- Optimizing air handling unit (AHU) operation
- Integrating locally controlled chillers into the BAS
The 1973 building is now heating, cooling, and ventilating indoor spaces more efficiently and cohesively. The operation team can now visualize energy use data, which allows them to identify challenges such as power outages and high demand days as well as opportunities for continued efficiency improvements.
Facility Manager, Doug Frodine, said that they now have the resources to look at systems holistically, informing future budget decisions. Building systems management is more seamless for the operations team to manage as they can make real-time changes.
Anthem’s parent company, Elevance Health, is an initial signatory to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Care Sector Pledge, focused on achieving net zero by 2050. The organization’s strategy to reach net zero includes making operations energy efficient, buying renewable electricity, and working with the supply chain to mitigate its impact, while seeking ways to protect biodiversity. In fact, Elevance Health met its goal of 100% renewable electricity four years ahead of schedule in 2021.
The energy team at Automatic Controls is very proud of its contribution to Anthem’s energy reduction and operational improvements.
February 22, 2023
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