Home / Plug & Process Load Management
The Pioneer in Plug Load Management
Plug & Process Load Management
Plug and process loads (PPL, also called miscellaneous electric loads or MELs in some utility and research literature) are the electrical devices that sit outside traditional HVAC and lighting control. Individually they may be modest. Collectively, and left running overnight and on weekends, they are one of the largest unmanaged energy costs in a building — which is what a plug load management system is built to find and control.
The Control Gap
Building automation systems focus on HVAC, central plant, and selected lighting. The workstations, displays and classroom technology, water coolers, break-room and vending equipment, window AC and PTAC units, water heaters, and exhaust fans throughout a building are usually outside that control. They stay energized during unoccupied hours even when idle or in standby.
Plug and process loads are one of the largest uses of electricity in commercial buildings. EIA projects that office equipment’s electricity use per square foot will keep rising, while lighting, ventilation, heating and cooling decline (EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2020).
Plug Load Control, Not a Timer
- Commercial-grade controllers with device-level metering
- Schedules stored locally, so control continues if Wi-Fi or the internet drops
- Central scheduling, reporting, and system health in BERTBrain
- Standalone by default; optional BERT Connect (BACnet/IP) or BERT Rest integration
A Typical Commercial Building's Electricity
- Plug & Process LoadsThe Unmanaged Third
- HVAC, Lighting & Other Systems
Plug and process loads are about a third of U.S. commercial building electricity (NREL, 2013) — and lighting and HVAC are usually automated while plug loads mostly aren't. Their share also grows as lighting and HVAC become more efficient.
Source: NREL, Assessing and Reducing Plug and Process Loads in Office Buildings (PDF, 2013).
What a Plug Load Management System Controls
BERT targets noncritical equipment with meaningful energy use and predictable periods when it is not needed.
| Load class | Examples | Typical BERT approach |
|---|---|---|
| Plug-connected | Workstations (the whole desk on one controller through a power strip), printers and copiers, displays and classroom AV, charging carts, water coolers and bottle fillers, vending, break-room equipment, air scrubbers and air cleaners, portable AC, space heaters, and fans | Smart Plug 110 AP on the individual device or an approved workstation group |
| Hardwired/process | PTAC/PTHP, hardwired window AC, water heaters, circulation pumps, exhaust fans, hardwired space heaters, selected lighting circuits, and other loads outside BAS control | Inline controller at the device, partial circuit, or circuit, installed by a licensed electrician |
| Permanent receptacles | Offices, classrooms, conference, and break rooms in new construction and renovation | Wall Outlet 110 WO (preliminary; Q1 2027) |
| Software & fleet | Sites, buildings, floors, rooms, device types, departments | Organize, schedule, report, and benchmark in BERTBrain |
Wondering what this looks like in your building? Start with a simple count of what you have. BERT handles the rest.
What We Control Most, by Market
K-12 & Higher Education
Classroom AV and smartboards, window AC and PTACs, charging carts, water fountains and bottle fillers, exhaust fans.
Commercial Offices
Workstations, break-room and coffee equipment, water coolers, conference-room AV, printers and copiers.
Government, Libraries & Community Centers
Staff and public workstations, printers and copiers, break-room equipment, vending, charging carts, water equipment, window AC and PTACs. In public works, support areas only; safety-critical loads are excluded.
Outpatient & Medical Offices
Air scrubbers and air cleaners, staff workstations, water coolers, break-room equipment. Office-type areas only; medical-support equipment is never controlled.
Recreation Centers & Venues
Exhaust and ventilation fans, vending, PTACs, water fountains and bottle fillers, TVs, and fitness equipment.
Warehouse, Distribution & Retail
Exhaust fans, PTACs and window AC, vending, and battery and equipment chargers; in stores, digital signage and selected display lighting. In warehouses, support areas only; production and safety-critical loads are excluded.
What a BERT Controller Does—and Does Not Do
It Does
- Measure the connected load and remove or restore full line power according to approved logic
- Store essential schedules locally, so approved control continues through communication interruptions
- Restore power before scheduled use, with a manual override at every controller
It Does Not
- Dim, regulate, or limit voltage or current. When on, the device gets normal line power.
- Control life-safety, emergency, security, medical-support, server, or core network equipment
Watch: How BERT Works (0:20)- BERT switches devices off when nobody needs them.
- Loads that must stay on are never touched.
- Power is back on before the scheduled start of the day.
- Up to 50% savings on the devices BERT controls.
Plug Load Control Strategies That Follow the Load
The project team first confirms what the equipment must do, then selects the simplest approved strategy that saves energy without disrupting operation.
Scheduling
Occupied, unoccupied, seasonal, holiday, and special-event patterns. Power returns before required use.
Threshold
For cycling equipment such as PTACs or projectors: power is removed only after measured demand shows the active or cooldown cycle has ended.
Temperature
High and low setpoints for approved equipment, with minimum cycle intervals and restart safeguards.
How a BERT System Fits Together
Works With or Without Your Building Automation System
BERT normally runs standalone, so there is no BAS change and no customer-provided server. Where a project benefits, BERT Connect provides separately scoped BACnet/IP integration, and a REST interface is available for other systems. BERT complements a BAS; it does not replace one.
B.A.X Building Automation Expanded™
B.A.X is BERT's approach to automating the equipment most buildings leave unmanaged: their plug and process loads. It stands on its own through BERTBrain, with scheduling, control, monitoring and reporting, and no building automation system is required. When you want more, it can link to the systems you already have: your building automation system through BERT Connect, or other systems through BERT's REST API. Everything works together in whatever way fits your building.
Where Plug Loads Fit Among Your Other Energy Projects
PPL is often the next scalable energy efficiency measure after lighting upgrades. It installs with limited disruption, and it can produce savings while larger HVAC or envelope projects are still being designed.
Let’s See What Your Buildings Could Save
Tell us about your facilities and we will size the opportunity: device counts, control hours and a savings range you can take to your team.