How Fiber Internet Can Improve Your Building's Energy Efficiency

Reducing our high energy costs is top of mind for everyone in Hawaii, especially for those responsible for managing multi-dwelling units. For most site managers, they may have many residents offering different opinions on how to cut energy consumption and costs. But getting everyone on the same page can be a challenge.

Take heart. Fiber-optic cables for your building is a welcome solution. What does fiber have to do with energy efficiency? A lot. Hawaii is expanding fiber-optic network intersects with so many aspects of building management, including energy use monitoring. Fiber is making the lives of site managers less complicated and providing welcome relief from some of the demands that are being placed on site managers today.

Fiber-Enabled for Energy Monitoring

Fiber connected directly to individual units today does much more than create a positive user experience for your residents. A fiber-optic network also acts as a high-speed communication backbone that enables “smart meters” to provide two-way data transmission between electric utilities and buildings or the residents of individual units of your building.

These smart meters, which are being deployed by Hawaiian Electric, are often powered by solar panels. These meters can digitally record energy usage and help monitor the state of the electric grid. It’s a win-win proposition for both multi-dwelling units and the utility.

Smart meters provide real-time data to Hawaiian Electric, eliminating the need for onsite visits to manually read your meter. The meter also lets Hawaiian Electric automatically know when there is an outage in real-time to help facilitate restoration of power faster for your building and your residents.

Good for the Grid

A smart meter also enables a building or individual units to track their electricity use and enables the utilities to proactively perform preemptive maintenance to avoid unplanned outages.

Since high-speed fiber has low latency or delays and has a high bandwidth, this also allows utilities to monitor usage peaks and seamlessly balance loads, incorporating renewable energy sources into the power grid.

It is important to point out that fiber-optic cables themselves do not use much energy. Data is transmitted by light through thin, hair-like glass strands, making fiber very energy efficient.

A Fiber-Forward Future

Fiber is the way of the future. With fiber-optic cables connected directly to individual units in a condominium or other multi-unit setting, households will be able to integrate their smart electric meters with their broadband routers. This will allow residents to view their power consumption in real-time and automate energy-saving features, such as delaying the charging of an electric vehicle (EV) or the use of smart heat pumps until off-peak hours.

To prevent a strain on the electrical grid, EV charging stations are being designed to communicate directly with utility providers. Fiber allows instantaneous "smart charging" responses, adjusting charging speeds during peak electricity demand.

As technology continues to evolve and affects energy and transportation, fiber will play an even more important role in vehicle-to-everything communication, enabling stationary electric and autonomous vehicles to rapidly upload and download large files, software updates, and mapping data rapidly while being recharged.

Let's Bring 100% Fiber to Your Building

From improved connectivity to greater energy efficiency, fiber infrastructure can deliver meaningful benefits for both residents and property owners. If you'd like to explore what fiber could mean for your building, let us know. Property and association board of directors may submit a consultation form. Residents may submit our interest form to help us gauge interest at your community or association.