The Energy Crisis for Building Owners to Cut 70% Waste using AI Optimization - Keith Gipson Part 2

In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Podcast, host Gary McCreadie talks with Keith Gipson, Founder and CEO of Facil.AI, about how artificial intelligence is changing building automation and HVAC energy management. Keith explains how his AI platform continuously analyzes building data and makes adjustments to improve efficiency in central plants and rooftop unit portfolios. The conversation explores why some traditional energy-saving strategies may not deliver the expected results and how AI can uncover better operating conditions by making thousands of optimization decisions every day. Gary and Keith also discuss autonomous control, human oversight, implementation in existing buildings, and the role AI can play in helping facility owners reduce energy consumption while maintaining comfort and system performance.

Gary and Keith discuss how AI is being used to improve HVAC and building performance through continuous optimization and automated decision-making. Keith explains how Facility AI connects to existing building automation systems, analyzes operating data, and makes adjustments every five minutes to reduce energy use. The conversation covers central plant optimization, rooftop unit performance, and why some common energy-saving strategies may actually increase costs. They also talk about autonomous AI control, human oversight, and how the technology can help facility owners save energy while improving system efficiency and comfort across large building portfolios.

Expect to Learn:

• How AI can continuously optimize central plants and building systems to reduce energy consumption.

• Why some traditional HVAC energy-saving strategies may not deliver the expected results.

• How autonomous AI systems make operating decisions while still allowing human intervention when needed.

• How Facility AI connects to existing building automation systems with minimal implementation effort.

• How building owners can improve efficiency and lower operating costs across large portfolios of facilities.

 

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] - Sponsor: Factory Direct Filters ad

[00:42] - Intro to Keith Gipson in Part 02 

[02:20] - AI agents cost 11 cents per hour, work alongside human controls

[04:01] - Running HVAC at night saved 9% energy (drug store portfolio test)

[05:47] - 30,000 daily optimizations; Cal State saved 47–48% on average

[08:13] - Conventional wisdom (coldest condenser water) is wrong; total plant KW matters

[12:34] - Software-only install, remote setup, works with 30+ control systems

[13:57] - White-box AI logs decisions every 5 minutes, fully traceable

[17:03] - Pricing: ~$1.50–$2/month per ton of chiller capacity

[19:40] - Keith's non-salesy, deep technical approach

 

This Episode is Kindly Sponsored by:

Cintas: https://www.cintas.com/hvacknowitall

Cool Air Products: https://www.coolairproducts.net/

Factory Direct Filters: https://www.factorydirectfilters.com/

SupplyHouse: https://www.supplyhouse.com/tm
Use promo code HKIA5 to get 5% off your first order at Supplyhouse!

Follow the Guest Keith Gipson on: 

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-gipson/  

LinkedIn - Facil.AI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facil-ai/  

 

Follow the Host on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/ 

LinkedIn - HVAC Know It All Inc.: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hvac-know-it-all-inc

Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/ 

Follow the Podcast on: 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HVACKnowItAll  

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LCBJGw0EHG03rdWHxUMce 

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hvac-know-it-all-podcast/id1359253455