Reduce carbon in the real world: Occupancy setbacks deliver big impact for commercial offices

Sidara, a global collaborative of specialist design, engineering, and consulting firms, partnered with Schneider Electric™ on a technical research study to quantify the impact of energy conservation measures (ECMs) on operational energy use and carbon at Sidara’s regional headquarters located at 150 Holborn, London, United Kingdom. The study evaluated the application of occupancy setbacks (a type of ECM) in conference rooms to determine what energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and other benefits might be gained from occupancy-based room conditioning. With the setbacks applied, the occupancy analysis showed that the room operated in a more energy-efficient state 76% of the time (during the study period). Indoor air quality attributes such as carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity (RH), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) also remained in healthy ranges aligned with good occupant well-being. Finally, when comparing high-occupancy business days to low-occupancy business days over a four-week period, the setbacks delivered an average of 22% savings in operational energy use and carbon.