It’s no secret that moviegoers flock to the theater to cool off and enjoy entertainment to escape hot weather. While large crowds are good for ticket sales, peak occupancy during summer heat waves makes theaters even tougher to cool. As movie theater owners nationwide look for options beyond traditional methods to reduce energy consumption, one New Mexico theater chain discovered a unique IoT-enabled technology that helped gain control over energy loads and reduce energy spend by thousands of dollars annually at each of its sites.

The movie theater chain deployed Encycle’s web-based Swarm Logic® technology to unlock significant new HVAC energy savings at 11 of its locations.

While every business must balance energy use with guest comfort, that struggle is especially challenging for movie theaters. Moviegoers expect an even cooler indoor environment than most places they visit. The demands placed on movie theater HVAC systems are heavy, and include high auditorium ceilings, late opening hours, rapidly changing occupancy levels, and tremendous heat loads caused by projection lamps.

By working with Encycle, a leader in HVAC energy management technologies, the movie theater chain leveraged Swarm Logic technology to operate the HVAC units as a networked system, responding more efficiently to changing conditions.

Using Encycle’s web-based customer portal enabled the movie theater facilities manager to access load level data and modify schedules remotely. By gaining control of energy loads, Swarm Logic technology also enabled the theater chain to qualify for utility company incentives.

Encycle’s patented and proven HVAC energy savings platform is more than disrupting the energy management market in the U.S. and Canada. Enterprise-level entertainment and retail clients are saving, on average, 10% to 20% on energy consumption and demand.

A more detailed account of the movie theater chain’s energy savings story is featured in an Encycle case study that outlines:

• Specific HVAC energy challenges of the theater sites
• Swarm Logic deployment and a more in-depth understanding of the web-based technology
• Total savings in terms of dollars, monthly kW peak reduction by site, and average demand reduction per site

The case study can be downloaded for free here.

To learn more about Encycle’s energy saving technologies, call +1 (855) 875-4031.

Contributing author: Chris Hensley, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Encycle Corporation