August 27, 2025
Real-Time Occupancy Drives Large-Scale Building Automation
In the August 2025 ASHRAE Journal, RMF Engineering's Gregory Hudson, P.E., HFDP, CHC and Clemson University's Dr. Snowil Lopes detail a Clemson collaboration that uses real-time occupancy data to revolutionize campus building automation and reduce energy use.
Clemson University has integrated a scalable, low-cost software-based Building Automation System (BAS) that significantly advances energy efficiency across campus buildings, contributing meaningfully to global decarbonization goals. Co-authored by Gregory Hudson of RMF Engineering and Dr. Snowil Lopes of Clemson University, the August ASHRAE Journal article "Campus-Wide Large Building Cluster Automation with Real-Time Occupancy" outlines the multi-year collaboration between RMF and Clemson to develop a real-time occupancy-based energy management system.
Leveraging Wi-Fi router data and AI-driven predictive modeling, the system optimizes HVAC operations based on actual building usage, achieving energy savings and laying the groundwork for grid-responsive, demand-flexible buildings. Currently deployed across 20 campus buildings, this initiative not only enhances sustainability but also offers a forward-looking model for academic and institutional facilities aiming for net-zero emissions.
Read the full article here: Campus-Wide Large Building Cluster Automation with Real-Time Occupancy