How APIs bring freedom to Freedom
In a recent blog, we explained Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and the value that they add to Energy and Building Management Systems (EMS/BMS). Then, we introduced NexRev’s new Freedom API. Now, we’ll take a deeper dive into exactly how those advantages play out with a look at how they help with ADR and work / order management. Read on.
Let’s start with a quick reminder about what APIs are in case you’re not already familiar with them. Enterprises today generally rely on software applications to help operate their business. If you work in property or facilities management, you’ll already know that the obvious examples of such applications are your energy and building management systems (EMS/BMS), though there are many others.
These software applications, of which you’ll have any number operating within your company’s infrastructure, shouldn’t work in isolation from each other. The data generated and collected by one almost always increases in value when it can be shared with another.
For instance, the application which manages and collates energy usage in a building will almost certainly need to share its data with the application that handles billing and finance so that reports can be generated, profitability calculated and, perhaps, revenues to be accrued.
All the above means that it’s vital that the different applications within an enterprise can communicate with each other. The question is, how can they do that? Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provide the answer. APIs are the way through which software applications talk to one another and exchange data. For a more detailed investigation into exactly how, please read the recent blog on the subject I referred to earlier, which you can find here.
Having reminded ourselves of the basics, let’s now examine in more detail exactly how NexRev’s new Freedom API delivers value to Freedom users by enabling new services and capabilities to be unlocked by their businesses in tandem with their upstream partners. We’re going to look at two specific cases among the many that our APIs enable: Automated Demand Response (ADR) and Work/Order Management.
Automated Demand Response
You’ll likely be aware that Automated Demand Response (ADR) is a technology-based strategy that’s used to optimize energy consumption in a facility, especially during peak demand periods. ADR is one aspect of a broader demand response (DR) program that involves facilities managers adjusting their energy usage automatically in response to signals from utility providers. Generally, the goal of ADR is to balance supply and demand on the electrical grid.
From an API perspective, it’s the signals from utilities companies that are critical. They are what dictate how the EMS/BMS needs to act to control HVAC, lighting, and other energy-consuming systems, for instance by being programmed or pre-programmed to reduce or shift energy use at specific times without the need for manual intervention.
The latter—necessary—actions are dependent on signals sent by utility companies, which might include requests to reduce power usage during times of high demand (like a hot summer day when air conditioning use is high). Such signals are typically sent in real-time or with short notice, prompting the building's systems to act immediately.
The role and importance of APIs here is simple to grasp. To accrue the benefits of ADR many utility companies offer incentives, such as lower rates or financial compensation, for reducing energy consumption during peak periods), the EMS/BMS must be able to communicate with the utility companies’ systems (in other words, it must be able to receive the necessary signals). For this to happen, integration via an API is necessary.
In addition
There are plenty of obvious, additional use cases similar to the above that go beyond commercial buildings using ADR to automatically reduce lighting and HVAC usage during peak hours, while still maintaining occupant comfort. Factories might reduce non-essential production processes or shift energy-intensive operations to off-peak times. Data centers, usually significant energy consumers, could adjust cooling systems to manage power usage without compromising the integrity of their operations.
With the new Freedom API, all of the above becomes possible. Freedom users can expose the API to their utility provers across all geographic regions (an enterprise with facilities located nationwide will likely have several different providers according to state, etc.) and will thus not only be able to better leverage the advantages of ADR but also manage their ADR programs far more effectively. A Freedom user can easily take the API from NexRev and grant permission for their utility providers to use it for ADR activities.
Work/orders
ADR activities, of course, also often generate related requirements for system actions that aren’t automatically integrated into their building management function. The obvious example of this might be where work orders need to be generated for facilities management via a third-party application.
Many enterprises and building managers leverage third party applications to manage such processes, using software that seeks to provide a single point of reference for the oversight of all aspects of their facilities. Examples of these systems include Service Channel, FM Pilot, and SMS Assist, some or all of which you’re likely already familiar with.
In these cases, the new Freedom API can be integrated with the facilities management application of choice to raise tickets and make (and close) work orders, enabling seamless facilities management and maintenance based on the specific conditions and requirements of each facility.
APIs – the critical ingredient to maximizing the value of software applications
In summary, the new Freedom API provides unparalleled access to functions necessary for better managing building and equipment operations. With the API, Freedom users can control equipment at a granular level and accrue significant savings, as we have seen, by enrolling buildings and equipment with ADR services integrating seamlessly with their utility providers to better control their facilities. And, as we have also seen here, they can benefit from unprecedented operational access to third-party applications whose value can also thus be increased.
As operations shift into an ever more connected future, it seems clear that APIs are already a vital ingredient in the recipe for optimizing commercial success.
About NexRev
At NexRev, we’ve been unlocking the power of facility and energy management data with over a million connected devices across North America. Our team of experts is focused on helping you deliver more with your budgets, infrastructure, and assets to create sustainable savings in operations and energy, reducing your risk and increasing operational confidence.
To begin a discussion on how we can help you to reduce energy waste please email us at