US Energy Group and Special Applied Intelligence (Special AI), both of New York City, and Sprint (News - Alert), of Overland Park, Kansas, have agreed to collaboratively market a Smart Building platform to commercial and residential multi-tenant buildings.

The platform will feature:

• US Energy Group's Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS), comprising the USE Manager, a Web-based energy management dashboard—which provides real-time updates about energy consumption, and detailed reporting of boiler function, oil tank levels, interior temperatures, and more; and
• AI’s ManagedGrid.net, which is a turnkey, fully managed 4G wireless Internet access solution for machine-to-machine (M2M) and remote-access applications.
• Sprint’s 4G wireless broadband connection, which delivers “lightning-fast email and Internet access.”

Rather than regulating a building's heating based on the outside temperature, US Energy Group's system controls the boiler, based on a series of wireless temperature sensors placed throughout the building's interior.  In addition, a patented digital sensor on the oil tank monitors levels, verifies oil deliveries, provides low oil alerts, and tracks fuel use over time.  

In fall 2010, US Energy began a five-building trial of Special AI's ManagedGrid.net service, running on the Sprint 4G wireless broadband network. US Energy now relies on ManagedGrid.net for connectivity to more than 120 critical locations in New York City, with more being installed daily.

According to the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Buildings Council, residential and commercial buildings account for 39 percent of carbon emissions, with the U.S. Department of Energy citing commercial buildings as responsible for 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

The USE Controller BEMS reduces fuel use by 15 percent to 35 percent, with payback in less than two years. Specifically, in the recent five-building trial, fuel use decreased by 22 percent. Similar results have been demonstrated across numerous portfolios. Additionally, tenants said they were much more comfortable with the building temperature and no longer had to open windows to vent excess heat.

ManagedGrid.net is designed expressly for use in applications such as US Energy's USE Controller BEMS. Other common uses of ManagedGrid.net include building security systems, video surveillance, key-fob entrances, and virtual doorman systems. Unlike traditional Internet service providers, Special AI can install ManagedGrid.net at new sites and bring them online in just a couple of days.

"US Energy's products perform critical building functions that demand reliable, secure network access, even though their business has nothing to do with network operations. With ManagedGrid.net, we provide fully managed and monitored network service, allowing US Energy to focus on what they do best," shared Special Applied Intelligence CEO D. Fritz Kunstler -. "The Sprint 4G network powers ManagedGrid.net, and is a perfect example of how we are leveraging the latest technologies to give our customers a competitive edge."

"Sprint's collaboration with US Energy Group and Special Applied Intelligence underscores our commitment to developing sustainable, energy-efficient solutions," said Wayne Ward, vice president of the Emerging Solutions Group - Sprint. "There is an unprecedented convergence of new technologies that allows innovative companies to utilize the Sprint 4G network to enable exciting energy saving applications and real-time video surveillance of critical systems."

"We are proud to introduce US Energy Group customers to ManagedGrid.net and Special AI's excellent management and support," stated US Energy Group CEO Jerry Pindus. "Building owners need the latest technology for ultimate control."

"As a building owner and manager, I want peace of mind," stated Carl Murray at Buchbinder &Warren, LLC. "With Sprint, Special Applied Intelligence, and US Energy Group teaming up to provide building energy-management solutions, I have [confidence]."

For more information on the partnership between US Energy Group and Special Applied Intelligence, visit the US Energy website.