Obayashi CorporationRFID Energy-Saving SolutionRFID Used to Achieve Personal Control of AC / Lighting for Each Employee, Reducing CO2 Emissions by Approx. 40% vs. Conventional Systems

Introduction

Challenges

The groundbreaking air conditioning and lighting system that Obayashi Corporation focused on has two main features.

The first is personal control of air conditioning and lighting in the desk units of individuals, rather than floor or area unit control that has been the mainstream until now.

To realize this, authentication of individuals, confirmation of whether they are at their desks, and individually installed air conditioning (AC) and lighting units are indispensable.

The second feature is hands-free control of air conditioning and lighting that allows employees to save energy easily and without making a conscious effort.

The key to achieving personal control of each desk and hands-free control of the air conditioning and lighting was the utilization of active RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tags.

Obayashi Corporation chose NEC as its partner for the joint development of an unprecedented AC and lighting system.

NEC was highly evaluated for its reliability and comprehensive ability to develop RFID tags, reading terminals and various other products; to design and establish the overall system; and to provide operational support.

Solution

In the air conditioning and lighting personal control system jointly developed by Obayashi Corporation and NEC, active RFID tags are utilized to verify individuals and perform location information management, with the air conditioning and lighting controlled as outlined below:

(1) When an employee stands in front of the office door, active RFID tag signal built into the cardholder around the employee' s neck is detected. The individual is instantly identified, and an entrance security check is automatically performed.

(2) At the same time, the ID data is sent to the central control system, and operation of the air conditioning unit installed at the individual' s desk is started.

(3) When the employee sits down at his or her own desk, active RFID signal is detected and sent to the central control system, and the light (s) are automatically turned ON. When the employee leaves his or her desk, the light(s) are automatically turned OFF.

The foremost challenges encountered in developing this system were highly precise reading of the signals sent from RFID tags and the prevention of malfunctions / false operations.

Antennas were programmed and other detailed adjustments were made to ensure that the unit would only respond to the RFID tag of specific individuals when they were seated at their own desks and not at adjacent desks.

NEC also lengthened the battery life of the signal transmission unit with a novel approach and unique technology where signal transmission enters "sleep" mode when it is not needed.

Results

Entry/exit was managed automatically by authenticating individuals with active RFID tags.

Flow management using location information was exhaustively pursued to realize automatic, individual control of AC and lighting.

RFID card holders were designed to be compact and light to minimize any type of stress for employees.

Obayashi Corporation has predicted that the achievement of personal control of AC and lighting will reduce annual CO2 emissions by approximately 40% compared to conventional systems, which is about 14,000 kg a year.

A large display on the office wall shows the daily electric power consumption and CO2 emissions, enhancing employees'energy usage consciousness.

The system will eventually be modified so that, for example, people who feel that the temperature of the AC is too low can change it individually, creating an optimum environment for everyone.

With the experience acquired during this joint development, NEC will provide this know-how to as many customers as possible, helping them further reduce environmental impact.

Customer profile

Obayashi Corporation

Contact>

Top of this page