How Smart Building Automation helps Schools, Universities and Campuses Cut Energy Waste
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mySmart in Education: Delivering lighting control and EMS solutions across Australia
Schools, universities and campuses use energy in non‑linear ways. A classroom may sit empty for half the day, while a library stays open late. A lecture theatre may run at full capacity on Monday and barely be used on Friday. Labs, sports halls, offices and student areas all have different needs. When lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation do not match real use, energy waste builds up quickly.
Smart building automation helps education facilities reduce that waste. In Australia, schools are classed within the commercial building sector, which is responsible for around 25% of overall electricity use and 10% of total carbon emissions. Energy efficiency can lower bills, reduce operating costs, and cut emissions.
mySmart has been delivering lighting control and energy management solutions to education facilities across the country – helping schools, TAFEs and universities match building services to actual occupancy, timetables and term breaks.
mySmart specialises in:
- Lighting control (Schneider Electric C-Bus, Signify Dynalite, KNX)
- Energy Management Systems (EMS) via the BuildIQ platform
- BMS integration – connecting existing building systems together
The BuildIQ EMS platform: now live at Tallawong Public School
The newly opened Tallawong Public School is the first education facility in Australia to feature mySmart’s BuildIQ EMS platform – giving facility teams complete visibility over energy and water use across the entire school.
BuildIQ brings together data from multiple sources into one unified platform. Key features include:
| Feature | What it does for a school or university |
|---|---|
| Interactive dashboards | Real-time visibility of energy, water, environmental conditions and alerts – customisable widgets |
| Powerful charts & analytics | Track trends over time, compare performance across buildings, spot anomalies (line, area, bar charts) |
| Building hierarchy | Model your campus logically (Campus → Building → Floor → Room) for easy navigation |
| Energy monitoring | Compare solar production against consumption – for example, over 24 hours |
| Water metering | Full visualisation of water use across the site |
| Integrations | Connect existing systems via API, webhooks, MQTT or database – works with Wattwatchers, SolarAnalytics, UtiliOS, WeatherAPI and more |
| Sensor health & alerts | Know when sensors go offline. Get critical and warning alerts before small issues become big costs |
Why education buildings waste energy (and how mySmart solves it)
- Lights left on in empty classrooms, corridors and shared spaces
- Lighting running on fixed schedules that don’t match real use
- Poor visibility across multiple buildings
- Manual overrides that are never reset
- Equipment and plug loads running after hours
mySmart’s two-track approach cuts that waste:
| Track | Process | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| EMS via BuildIQ | Site visit → put in metering → connect data to BuildIQ → dashboard | Full visibility of energy and water |
| Lighting control | Site visit → audit → recommend lighting control upgrades | Automated lighting that responds to occupancy and timetables |
| Both tracks together | Site visit → audit + metering → lighting upgrades + BuildIQ dashboard | Maximum savings from visibility and control combined |
Schedules can match school terms. Lighting can respond to daylight and room use. BuildIQ dashboards flag unusual energy or water use before it escalates.
Where mySmart makes the biggest difference in education facilities
| Area | How mySmart helps |
|---|---|
| Classrooms | Lighting matched to real occupancy; energy use visible in BuildIQ |
| Lecture theatres | Reduced waste between bookings |
| Libraries | Long opening hours without wasting energy in unused zones |
| Labs & specialist spaces | Tighter control and monitoring via BuildIQ |
| Sports halls | Lighting adapts to irregular use |
| Admin areas | Cut after-hours lighting and plug-load waste |
| Whole campuses | Central visibility across multiple buildings via BuildIQ’s building hierarchy |
A sensible path forward – already delivered
Smart building automation is not only about installing new technology. It’s about matching building services to how education spaces are actually used.
With the BuildIQ EMS platform now live at Tallawong Public School, mySmart has demonstrated what that looks like in practice: full visualisation of energy and water, interactive dashboards, real-time alerts, and better control over lighting.
For other schools, universities and campuses looking to reduce waste, the same approach applies:
EMS track:
- Site visit
- Put in metering
- Connect data to BuildIQ
- Dashboard live
Lighting control track:
- Site visit
- Audit
- Recommend lighting control upgrades
Or both at the same time for maximum impact.
Looking to reduce energy and water waste across your education facility?
Talk to mySmart about lighting control, the BuildIQ EMS platform, and BMS integration – already delivering results across Australia, starting with Tallawong Public School.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does mySmart reduce energy waste in schools?
mySmart reduces energy waste through lighting control, energy monitoring via BuildIQ, and BMS integration. BuildIQ gives facility teams real-time dashboards and alerts for energy and water use. Automated lighting matches occupancy and timetables. Together, they stop waste from lights left on, equipment running after hours, and poor visibility across multiple buildings.
What is BuildIQ and what does it actually do?
BuildIQ is mySmart’s EMS platform. It brings together data from multiple sources into one interface. Features include interactive dashboards, powerful charts (line, area, bar), building hierarchy (site → building → floor → room), energy monitoring (e.g., solar vs consumption), water metering, integrations with existing systems, and sensor health alerts.
Does mySmart control HVAC?
No. mySmart specialises in lighting control, Energy Management Systems (EMS), and BMS integration. BuildIQ can monitor HVAC energy use, but mySmart does not directly control HVAC systems.
Is BuildIQ really being used in an Australian school?
Yes. The newly opened Tallawong Public School is the first education facility in Australia to feature the BuildIQ EMS platform. It fully visualises energy and water metering across the entire school from day one. It’s also being installed at several schools across Western Sydney, including Liverpool Boys High School and Liverpool Girls High School.
Can occupancy sensors help my school save energy?
Yes. mySmart integrates occupancy sensors with lighting control and BuildIQ. When classrooms or shared areas are empty, the system can turn lights off or dim them. BuildIQ then shows the actual energy saved.
What's the process to get started with mySmart?
mySmart reduces energy waste through lighting control, energy monitoring via BuildIQ, and BMS integration. BuildIQ gives facility teams real-time dashboards and alerts for energy and water use. Automated lighting matches occupancy and timetables. Together, they stop waste from lights left on, equipment running after hours, and poor visibility across multiple buildings.
What existing systems can BuildIQ connect to?
BuildIQ integrates with energy monitors (Wattwatchers, SolarAnalytics), weather data (WeatherAPI), utility data (UtiliOS), IoT devices via MQTT, and any custom system via API pull, webhooks or direct database connection.
Does mySmart only work with new schools like Tallawong?
No. mySmart has been delivering lighting control and EMS solutions to education facilities across the country – including existing schools, TAFEs and universities. Tallawong is the first with BuildIQ, but mySmart can retrofit visibility and control into older buildings.
When should a school consider a review?
A review is sensible when energy bills keep rising without a clear reason, lights are left on in empty spaces, staff manually override schedules daily, different buildings have unconnected controls, facility teams lack real-time energy/water data, or existing controls are more than 10 years old.