In general, MeteoViva Climate can be used in all building types – regardless whether these are existing or new buildings, office and administration buildings, production and assembly halls, hospitals, larger residential properties, wellness parks, every airport or university campus.

By proactively managing the building services engineering, MeteoViva Climate bridges the discrepancy between the inertia of a building and the quick change of internal use and weather conditions. Therefore, the highest savings are realized in buildings with large building mass, large proportion of glass and extensive building services engineering.

MeteoViva Climate integrates all of the technical systems of a building that have an influence on internal climate. In doing so, sun protection systems, double-facades, heat pumps or similar will be included in addition to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Particularly slow systems, such as floor heating, ceiling cooling or operation and control panels benefit from the proactive management.

MeteoViva Climate aims to generate optimum indoor climate in the building. Therefore, MeteoViva Climate influences all energy flows of a building that are necessary for generating the desired climate. These are mainly thermal energy costs for gas, district heat, etc., but also electricity costs for ventilation, air conditioning and auxiliary systems.

MeteoViva Climate can be used for individual buildings as well as for groups of buildings. Irrespective of the installed technology in the various buildings, all buildings are adjusted and monitored via a portal – the so-called „MeteoViva Cockpit“. The “look and feel” of the portal is the same for all buildings – irrespective of building type or building age. This simplifies facility management in heterogeneous real estate portfolios.

For groups of building that are connected together to energy sources, the concept “MeteoViva Campus” offers the possibility to not only predict and optimize the energy consumption of the buildings. Here, the availability of energy sources (e.g. wind and solar systems) as well as the cost for energy generation can be included in the optimization in order to consequently achieve the best constellation for the operation of the entire building. MeteoViva Campus is the application of MeteoViva Climate on a campus with a wide variety of buildings and systems engineering to generate, distribute, store and use energy.

MeteoViva Climate continuously calculates the optimum control data for each building ahead of time and submits these to the existing building automation. In return, MeteoViva Climate receives all relevant measurement values (e.g. room temperatures and meter readings) from the building. That means, the use of MeteoViva Climate fulfills several functions in the operation of buildings.

1. By identifying and providing optimized control data for the building services engineering, MeteoViva Climate becomes the autopilot for an energy-efficient operation of the building.
2. 2. The permanent target-actual-comparison from the prognosis of the calculation model and measurement of the actual operation on site enables 24/7 monitoring of the climate conditions and systems. With the help of MeteoViva Climate alarm systems, faults in the building services engineering are frequently detected before they lead to noticeable effects for the building user.
3. All control data and measurement values of MeteoViva Climate are stored for two years and longer, if so requested. In doing so, the system also provides detailed documentation of the building data.

If requested, MeteoViva also offers complete integration of the metering infrastructure and with that a fully-fledged and certified energy management system (EMS). It is thus possible to make energy consumption transparent, and additional measures to save energy can be tackled beyond building climate.
With the appropriate metering structure, EMS also allows direct billing of the ancillary costs to the tenants/users of the building.

MeteoViva Climate is the proactive management of building services engineering. Contrary to conventional building management, MeteoViva Climate does not react to building conditions and outside temperatures, rather it anticipates future changes and adjusts the building accordingly.
An individual simulation model for each building – the heart of MeteoViva Climate – is fed with the information regarding building physics, use or internal loads, usage times, energy prices and weather forecasts for the coming days, and with that calculates the most cost-effective setting for the building services engineering to obtain the desired climate.
Thus the system anticipates temperature fluctuations, solar radiation, changes in use ahead of time and is able to also take variable energy prices into consideration. As a result, this leads to accurately reaching target temperatures and to a considerable reduction in temperature fluctuations in the building with minimum energy costs. The comfort is noticeably improved and complaints are clearly reduced.

The conventional control engineering reacts only when the actual value no longer corresponds to the target value. The conventional control always lags behind what is happening in the room. MeteoViva Climate works with a model-based projection, e.g. the variables for the desired room conditions are predicted for the next 2-3 days in the 15-minute grid and fed to the systems engineering “just in time”. MeteoViva Climate does not react, but operates tailor-made.

No. MeteoViva Climate is a smart-data-solution. It calculates and submits optimum control data to the existing building automation. MeteoViva Climate therefore does not replace building management, but makes it “smarter” in day-to-day operation.

MeteoViva Climate improves indoor climate, reduces the number of user complaints and energy costs.

During the operation itself, manual setting or readjusting the building services engineering is almost completely eliminated with the automated calculation of control data. Added to this is the ongoing monitoring of the target-actual values which immediately indicates when something is not okay in the systems engineering. Our operating team is the first to be notified by an alarm system, and subsequently the operator in the building is notified of possible malfunctions. In doing this, these can often be eliminated before the building user notices the effects.

The continuous recording of control data and building conditions up to the meter readings meets the requirements on an energy management and provides for transparency for the user. Last but not least, the use of MeteoViva Climate is a sustainability measure that significantly decreases CO2 emissions of a building.

Energy supply costs are an important optimization variable in the simulation. Each calculation takes into account which energy sources are available at what time and at what price/cost. Thus, for example, flexible electricity or heating prices according to energy (€/MWh) and demand (€/kW) can easily be included in the optimization. These can also be retrieved automatically from central sources via standard interfaces.

Furthermore, in case of MeteoViva Campus, all available energy sources are summarized into a so-called virtual power plant, and the energy supply follows a separate optimization algorithm. Thus, the availability (e.g. with solar and wind energy) as well as the efficiency criteria (e.g. available exhaust heat from the combined heating and power generating systems) is also taken into consideration.

As an add-on module, MeteoViva offers a comprehensive energy management system. It is certified and thus also eligible for funding.

The existing systems engineering must be in a fully functional condition. A building control system is not a condition for access to this service. Even if the connection to an existing building control system has advantages, we are able to also optimize buildings without automation. Here we either manage systems directly or we provide a suitable MeteoViva Climate automation.

MeteoViva optimizes the existing or planned system on site. We will install our communication box with data logger (the so-called "MeteoVivaBox") near the building control system for the connection between building and MeteoViva computer center, and in some cases additional sensors at one point or another in the building, so that the target achievement in terms of climate can be monitored.

A MeteoViva Climate project always goes through three different phases in the implementation.

In the first step, in the course of a detailed analysis or project planning, the building and its systems engineering are recorded in detail, a zoning and management concept is worked out, and the connection charges are determined. The project planning will take 4-6 weeks, depending on the availability of the data. At the end of this phase, the customer receives a concept description and a firm offer.

The second phase is the setup. Here the simulation model is created and the connection to the building, in particular the interface to the building control system and the installation of the MeteoVivaBox is implemented. The installation is normally completed within 8 weeks.

The final step involves calibration and commissioning. Here the climate profile of the building is set and the model is calibrated within 2-4 weeks so that its prognosis corresponds with the reality of the measurement and control data points.

The expenditures for the operator of a building are very low during the installation and later in the operation. For the project planning, MeteoViva requires access to the relevant information (systems engineering, building control system, energy consumption) Access to the building for the installation must be ensured during the setup. Specifically, we are calculating with a need for resources for a project supervisor for up to two days in the project planning phase and approx. 0.5 days per week during the setup, in addition to the occasional involvement of the specialist departments.

The connection is done electrically (if there is no building control system), or digitally (LON-bus, MOD-bus, BACnet). It is not necessary to adapt to the existing systems engineering. Rather, its thermodynamic behavior is displayed 1:1 in the calculation model, quasi “frozen”. Only for a digital coupling is the supplier of the building control system to be instructed to extend its software by a user interface (switch), through which the in-house technician can decide whether individual climate zones in the building or the entire building are to be operated conventionally or via MeteoViva.

The connection of MeteoViva Climate is carried out without interruption during operation.

Every building managed by MeteoViva Climate is visualized on our MeteoViva Cockpit. The specifications for managing (desired climate, internal loads, usage times) are entered on the MeteoViva Cockpit and the operation is monitored.

The current building conditions (e.g. room temperatures) are displayed in a concise floor plan overview in such a way that it is quickly recognizable if everything is okay. Detailed information on measurement and control data can be retrieved there for each zone. Temperature curves are visible here, the weather information is displayed, and the actual/target values of the systems are shown.

Depending on the authorization of the portal user, he can only see the information or adjust via an editor.

The operation of the MeteoViva Climate provides substantial relief for the local personnel for managing the building. In addition to regularly looking at the MeteoViva Cockpit, the specifications of the optimization parameters are among the most important interventions. If there are changes to the usage times or if other temperatures are to be obtained, the responsible building technician will adjust these via the Portal/Cockpit.

The existing building automation as such remains functional. A (digital) switch can be used in the operation to decide for each controlled zone whether the MeteoViva Climate control data are used or whether the conventional operation is used. In practical terms, MeteoViva Climate can be turned off partly or completely and residue-free.

The data exchange between computer center and MeteoVivaBox in the customer’s building takes places via a 128 bit encrypted VPN connection that is set up from the building to the MeteoViva computer center. Therefore, it is not possible to actively access the MeteoVivaBox from the outside. The data transport and exchange between the locally installed MeteoVivaBox and the building control system takes place via the internal company network or via a separate serial two-wire connection.

Access to the MeteoViva Cockpit is provided via customer-specific logins. The transmission of data between browser and portal also takes place via a 128 bit encrypted connection. When setting up a new user login, a selection can be made from different user roles for each login. Depending on the user role, the user may view and change more or less components in the internal section of the portal.

MeteoViva operates its computer and data centers exclusively in Germany. Therefore, they are subject to the German data protection regulations.

Nothing. MeteoViva Climate pays for itself.

The net savings achieved with MeteoViva Climate (i.e. savings net of subscription fees) will pay for installation costs within 5 years. This is the  MeteoViva Climate savings guarantee.

A fixed monthly fee may be charged, if MeteoViva Climate is used primarily to address indoor comfort issues.

In principle, MeteoViva Climate is designed to improve a building’s indoor climate for its tenants. However, a predictive control that anticipates changes in weather and solar radiation, optimizes the start and stop of equipment and uses the building’s thermal mass as storage usually generates energy savings as well.

Typical energy savings are between 15% and 40%, on average we achieve 20%. A preliminary analysis of your building is free.

MeteoViva Climate pays for itself.

The net savings achieved with MeteoViva Climate (i.e. savings net of subscription fees) will pay for installation costs within 5 years. This is the MeteoViva Climate savings guarantee.

As part of a performance based MeteoViva Climate agreement, the customer receives a minimum savings guarantee for the initial contract duration (typically 5 years).
 
The savings net of operating fees will be determined at the end of the first year of operation and multiplied by the number of years of the initial contract. If these savings are below the guaranteed amount, MeteoViva will pay the difference.

This guarantee is backed by HDI Gerling Insurance, virtually eliminating all risks to the customer.

After three months of operation, we will carry out a first interim analysis for each new building. An initial indication on the effect of MeteoViva Climate can be deduced from these findings. The proof of savings relevant to the contract is provided after 12 months of operation. Here the consumption of the operating year is compared with the consumption of the reference year. The consumption of thermal energy (district heat, gas) is climatically adjusted prior to the comparison to make colder and warmer years comparable. The scoring calculation is designed to meet the demands of the existing VDI standard 3807.

The difference observed in kWh between operating and reference year will then be multiplied by the average energy price paid by the customer to its service provider during the operating year, in order to determine the costs saved in euros.