75F: Introducing the Concept of Smart Buildings Powered by IoT

With buildings consuming 40% of the world’s energy, there is a need for energy efficient solutions. Also, the myriad, disparate systems such as HVAC, Lighting, security, etc. that form the crux of a smart commercial building have ushered in the need for integration and effective utilization of resources. Use of IoT and cloud-based applications makes it possible to achieve these two objectives – making buildings energy efficient, comfortable, automated and truly smart.
Legacy building controls systems are overbuilt and expensive for most commercial building owners and operators. Those systems are being displaced by new, born-digital solutions. Fueled by the proliferation of affordable sensors and cloud computing, this new breed of building intelligence solutions combines the Internet of Things (IoT), wireless communications, big data and cloud-based algorithms to sense, predict and proactively manage the needs of the building occupants.
A leading player in this segment is 75F, an award-winning, IoT and Machine Learning company taking a fresh approach to HVAC, indoor air quality, lighting and controls in commercial buildings. 75F offers data-driven, proactive, predictive building intelligence and controls. 75F has delivered hundreds of energy-efficient, comfortable and healthy spaces to enthusiastic customers who rave about the results.
The Visionary Founder
The young trailblazer Deepinder Singh founded 75F in 2012, after he had designed some of the world’s fastest core networks for Tier 1 service providers like AT& T, NTT and Verizon. As Deepinder Singh, CEO and Founder, 75F puts it, “I am not originally from the HVAC industry. By profession, I was a networking geek, have been part of 6 startups, and brought a host of embedded products to market. My key goal in every endeavor is to simplify operational complexity and make products instinctive.”
Deepinder’s determination to create intuitive technology, make an impact and challenge the status quo forms the ethos of 75F. Which is why 75F is the only brand today, that can effectively address the energy, air quality and comfort issues of more 99,000 commercial buildings in India and 15,000,000 worldwide.
75F is also the only player to offer a predictive solution for solving the comfort and energy challenges of the commercial building market, at an installed price point that offers sub year return on investment. The solution takes in hundreds of data points like weather forecast, building orientation, sun positioning, humidity, air quality and mean radiant temperature. 75F delivers a balanced space, better air quality, significant energy savings and predictive maintenance – all contributing to increased employee productivity (social), reduced energy usage (environment) and increased profit (economic).
A Voyage from Concept to Company
When asked about the genesis of the company, Deepinder reminisces, “When my daughter was one year old, she would wake up in the middle of the night crying. It was then that I found out that the thermostat was in the master bedroom but in her east-facing room, the temperature was nearly 8-10 degrees cooler than in the master bedroom. In the dead of winter, when temperatures in Minnesota are nearly -30 Degrees Celsius, it was no surprise that my one year old would wake up due to the discomfort. So, I did what any self-respecting engineer would do. I quit my job and set out to find a solution to fix this problem. I soon built the algorithms that would consider the temperature from different parts of the building, understand how the sun would impact these temperatures (solar gain) and calculate what’s called ‘thermal loads’”
While a personal experience is what inspired the inception of 75F, Deepinder realized that the problem is applicable to a whole lot of buildings and wanted to make sure that everyone has access to equitable, comfortable temperatures. The true motivation behind the company were the studies by Carnegie Mellon and Harvard which prove beyond doubt that people who work in comfortable environments are at least a 101% more productive and effective.
Contributing to the IoT Sector
75F operates in the true confluence of Cloud Computing and IoT. As Deepinder points out, what is really driving the advances in 75F is ‘ubiquitiveness’ of IoT i.e. the pervasiveness of IoT and the Cloud Computing power. Using sensors spread across in a building 75F collects millions of data points from each building. The ability to process this data rests in the cloud where the data is analyzed to draw intelligent insights. This enables 75F to be able to proactively predict how the building is going to behave in conjunction with factors such as weather forecasts, angle of the sun, etc. and determine the optimal control strategy in advance.
Deepinder further adds, “There are three aspects of the indoor environment that truly impact an employee’s ability to perform: Thermal Comfort, Indoor Air Quality and Lighting. Harnessing the power of IOT and Cloud Computing, 75F is uniquely able to control and optimally adjust each of these three aspects ensuring maximum occupant experience always, while saving energy.”
Focusing on (OE)²
75F delivers improved Operational Efficiency and enhanced Occupant Experience to its clients, or as they call it internally – (OE)². 75F’s unique approach significantly reduces energy consumption and optimizes facility management thereby improving Operational Efficiency. Using the right algorithms, the system saves nearly 30-40% on energy, typically paying for itself in less than 3 years. At the same time, the system also greatly impacts human capital. The 75F solution ensures improved employee productivity and health, thus enhancing Occupant Experience. A true win-win for all their customers!
Innovative Solutions by an Intuitive Company
Two of 75F’s biggest solutions in the Indian market are “Dynamic Airflow Balancing™ Solution” and “Dynamic Chilled Water Balancing™ Solution”. Leveraging IoT design philosophy and the power of cloud computing, the 75F solutions has achieved what was once thought to be only theoretically possible; continuous commissioning or perfect air balancing. The company also offers Lighting Automation and Control, Outdoor Air Optimization, and Indoor Air Quality Management solutions which adopt the smart building trends while taking IoT to the next level. Through IoT, 75F is enabling a smart building concept which mainly focusses on providing a cost-effective and an advanced environment.
Another highlight of 75F’s products is Facilisight, a futuristic energy management tool with a dynamic UI. Fascilight’s suite of web and mobile apps allow customers to manage temperature and lighting remotely and round the clock. It is an extremely user-friendly interface that has simplified the process of overseeing and managing 75F systems across sites irrespective of geographic location or complexity. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android phones.
Awards and Recognition
75F has won numerous awards for its pioneering and disruptive technology. 75F India was awarded the ‘Hot 100 Race to Grace 2017’ award and had been listed as one of the Top 50 SMEs by ASSOCHAM in India. Committed to innovation, the company is well poised to revolutionize the way energy efficiency and comfort is managed in the future.
75F global has also been conferred with the title of ‘Titans of Technology-2016’ and won the ‘People’s Choice Award’ at CleanTech Open 2014 and the Eureka awards 2016. They were the Presenters at the 2014 Google Demo Day. 75F also scored big at the Regional Entrepreneurial competition and the Minnesota Cup in 2014 apart from winning $100K cash recognition from AOL’s founder Steve Case.
Contributing to a Sustainable Ecosystem for Future Generations
The 75F name stands for 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It was inspired by a United Nations resolution in 2008 to change the temperature in their global office meeting rooms to 75 degrees from 70 degrees in the cooling season (with the process reversed in the heating season), as a sustainable energy-savings measure that came with corresponding relaxed dress codes.
75F is a member of the United Nations Environment Program-Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI), an international platform for stakeholders to jointly carry out activities supporting sustainable development. In India, it has partnered with India Green Buildings Council (IGBC) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).