The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation recently developed a new building monitoring system that tracks real-time energy use in a building—a valuable tool in a state with some of the highest energy costs in the country. The state agency has now made the system available to anyone, anywhere in the world, at no cost.

The system provides pertinent information to building owners or managers by tracking up-to-the-minute data including occupancy, temperature, electricity, water consumption and fuel use. This means that a building manager or owner can be miles away from his or her building and still monitor important data, such as dropping temperatures that could lead to frozen water pipes.

Building monitoring systems are valuable tools that are often expensive to install and operate. However, the software developed by AHFC is being offered at no cost and allows for real-time tracking of building performance, which makes way for immediate solutions. The system results in energy savings and operation and maintenance efficiencies, ultimately saving building owners and managers time and money.