Herman Miller Introduces Energy Manager
- Herman Miller Energy Manager
Energy Manager is a simple device you add to your Herman Miller systems furniture—new or retrofit—to improve its performance by saving electrical energy.
Energy Manager controls two of the four circuits of power in a cluster of workstations. When a person sits down to work, an occupancy sensor detects their presence and turns on the devices in the cluster plugged into those two circuits—task lights, printers, monitors, chargers, etc. When the cluster is unoccupied, the devices automatically turn off.
You start saving energy the day you install Energy Manager. It can also provide accurate, valuable information by measuring, monitoring, and reporting energy use and workstation occupancy when it’s Convia-enabled. As a result, Energy Manager can contribute up to 10 LEED credits.
What is Herman Miller Energy Manager?
Herman Miller Energy Manager is a proprietary electrical circuit control system that connects building power
with the modular power of Herman Miller workstations, enabling a truly integrated control solution for
end-to-end power applications. Energy Manager is the first technology application to enable energy
consumption to be monitored, measured and controlled at the electrical circuit level, while also optimizing
real estate use and lowering overall operating costs.
How does it work?
Herman Miller Energy Manager units are mounted inside the wall of Herman Miller frame-and-tile based
workstation systems, or are mounted discreetly to a panel. It works by controlling two of the four circuits of
power feeding a cluster of workstations. Providing programmed or occupancy-based control of power
delivery, it allows control of powered devices plugged into those two circuits so they either are on or off—a
result of occupancy in the workstation cluster.
Occupancy sensing through Energy Manager is especially important in today’s offices where people typically
spend half their time outside their workstations. Innovative features including “virtual metering” of electrical
circuits, which allows the product to pay for itself in no more than three years based on electrical savings
alone.
For ultimate energy savings capabilities, Energy Manager can be Convia-enabled. A Web-based gateway
from Convia, Inc., a Herman Miller subsidiary, provides programmable on/off control of selected circuits and
overhead lighting, as well as other building control systems. Facilities managers have the ability to monitor
and measure energy use in real-time and from the convenience of their personal computers. And with power
consumption measured at the electrical circuit level, they have access to the information they need to further
develop and adjust energy saving strategies. Additionally, actual occupancy data (i.e. which workstations are
occupied, when, and for how long during the course of a day) is also reported through Convia’s Global
Gateway at 10 minute intervals. This data can be used to generate reports and optimize real estate to further
reduce operating costs.
How is the product energy efficient?
Significant amounts of energy can be saved if task lighting and powered devices in workstations are
controlled so they are on only when needed and off when not occupied. Herman Miller Energy Manager
creates that capability.
Additionally, Energy Manager’s ability to provide detailed, objective reports can be critical in helping
companies measure and verify their progress toward their energy management and real estate goals.
Businesses seeking to be better corporate citizens often urge their employees to engage in socially responsible
behaviors (e.g. turning out lights, unplugging laptop power supplies, turning off printers, etc.). The data from
Energy Manager can let businesses see the impact of their behavior, quantify the impact of changed behavior,
and be a motivating force in encouraging people to “do the right thing.”
Developed with the environment in mind, Energy Manager can contribute up to 10 LEED® credits for
optimized energy performance, measurement and verification, recycled content and regional material.
When is it available for customer order?
Energy Manager will be available for order in August 2009.
What can be controlled by Energy Manager? What areas of the workstation?
Energy Manager offers a fully integrated solution, allowing for control over all electrical devices in every area
of the workstation cluster.
Energy Manager can provide programmed or occupancy-based control of power delivery to two of the typical
four circuits within a cluster of up to eight Herman Miller workstations. Any device or combination of
devices powered by two of these four circuits can be controlled. The other two circuits are unaffected,
preventing the unwanted depowering of certain devices that must remain always on. Devices can be added,
removed or changed from Energy Manager as needed. The product can be connected to any building power
system via floor, ceiling or wall in-feed.
What applications and markets is it best suited for?
Until now, energy saving strategies largely have been limited to the larger building infrastructure. There was
no effective way to bridge the gap between the architecture and the occupants. Energy Manager enables
profound new electricity savings at the workstation cluster level. It is appropriate for use in a broad-base of
commercial environments, including commercial office, retail, hospitality and education buildings.
Is Energy Manager available exclusively to Herman Miller workstations, or can it be installed in any
workstation?
Energy Manager can be incorporated exclusively into a new or existing Herman Miller systems installation. It
can be connected to the electrical system of Herman Miller’s Vivo® interiors, My Studio Environments™,
Ethospace® system, Prospects®, and Action Office® system.
