Bluetooth^® HVAC integration will drive commercial scalability, reduce costs, and improve operational performance

Earlier this year, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) released the Bluetooth HVAC Integration NLC Profile, which supports direct integration with HVAC systems and marks a significant advancement in building automation. This enhancement enables smarter, more energy-efficient systems by allowing lighting and HVAC components to communicate seamlessly over a standardized wireless framework.

I recently spoke with Chris Wolgamott CEM, CDSM, principal product manager, technology and product management, at the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). Chris has driven NEEA’s market transformation initiatives by developing strategies, defining products, and engaging stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient technologies.

During our meeting, I had a chance to get Chris’s thoughts on how this new Bluetooth advancement in HVAC integration will drive interoperability and scalability in commercial environments and support solutions that reduce costs and improve operational performance.

Q&A with Chris Wolgamott from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Why are open, interoperable standards important for the building and energy efficiency industry, and what role do they play in enabling smarter, more efficient systems?

Open interoperable standards are important because they allow building systems to talk to one another without a complex and expensive third-party system. They also give the building operator or maintenance team a wider range of products to choose from if repair work or replacements are needed. 

Why is the introduction of the Bluetooth^® HVAC Integration Profile significant for the energy efficiency community?

It standardizes wireless communication between HVAC and lighting systems. This allows HVAC systems to use occupancy data from existing lighting control sensors, enabling more precise, automated climate control and eliminating the need for separate detection infrastructure. This reduces costs and operational complexity while also ensuring buildings meet stricter energy-saving regulations. Anything we can do to increase energy efficiency and decrease complexity is a good thing.

How does enabling communication between HVAC and lighting control systems translate into measurable energy savings for building owners and facility managers?

The biggest measure could be the possibility of additional energy savings from the data that the lighting system can provide to the HVAC system. Using occupancy sensors from a lighting system that has luminaire-level lighting controls (networked sensors embedded in each fixture) could give HVAC more accurate data on the space’s occupancy. If done correctly, this allows the HVAC system to optimize its operations to be more efficient. 

What specific benefits can HVAC manufacturers expect from adopting this profile?

Hopefully, HVAC manufacturers will see an increase in demand for their products because the customer can have a simple solution to their needs. Having products that can work with other standardized products allows the manufacturer to possibly sell into other HVAC systems that they couldn’t before. They should also see a simpler path to predictive maintenance and advanced diagnostics of the system. 

How does this profile make integration easier or more cost effective for solution providers (lighting control and energy management systems)?

This profile will reduce complexity and cost. It streamlines projects by providing a standardized, interoperable wireless protocol that can leverage a single mesh network for multiple building systems, rather than requiring separate, proprietary hardware for each. 

Can you share an example or scenario where the profile could improve building performance or occupant comfort while reducing energy use?

The best example I have is using occupancy sensors in the lighting to act as a proxy for people counting. This allows the HVAC system to have a much clearer picture of the actual space usage. With this data, the HVAC system can change how it operates to heat or cool the space, not based on whether the space is occupied but by how occupied the space is.

Should we be heating/cooling the space the same if there are only three people in the space as we would if there were 100 people in the space? Having all of the occupancy data that the lighting sensors provide should allow an optimized HVAC, which in turn should provide even greater energy savings for both the lighting and the HVAC. 

What role do you see this profile playing in advancing broader industry goals around sustainability, smart buildings, and grid interaction?

The Bluetooth^® HVAC Integration Profile can significantly advance goals related to sustainability, smart buildings, and grid interaction by creating a standard foundation for system interoperability. By moving beyond point-to-point communication to a robust, building-wide Bluetooth mesh network, the profile enables a new level of intelligent automation and coordination between a building’s energy-consuming systems.

What additional opportunities or innovations could emerge as more vendors implement the Bluetooth^® HVAC Integration Profile?

As more vendors adopt the Bluetooth^® HVAC Integration Profile, the foundational opportunities for cost reduction and interoperability will enable a host of more advanced innovations and business models. The emergence of a robust, standards-based ecosystem could lead to a deeper integration of smart technologies, allowing buildings to evolve from simple automation to genuinely intelligent, adaptive environments.