Tag Archives: hvac

Building Automation Systems are Energy Management

Building Automation SystemsBuilding automation systems market will grow continue to grow globally and is expected to reach a total market value of more than $36 billion by 2015 according to a new market analysis by ABI Research.   Recessions always bring a re-evaluation of energy management and calls for new ways to ensure organizations and nations use energy more efficiently. The same is true in the latest downturn and it is driving significant interest and activity in the market for building automation systems.

Energy use within commercial buildings has been growing year-on-year for decades and now accounts for up to 20% of national energy consumption in many developed countries. Worldwide, buildings consume approximately 42% of all electricity, surpassing any other asset. This makes it a prime target for energy efficiency and environmental measures. To achieve sustainable energy consumption levels, it is essential that appropriate and effective building management systems be employed.  These building automation systems must include applications such as HVAC and lighting controls.

Building automation technology by Advanced Control Corporation provides industry-leading HVAC technology. Temperature control through the proper building automation system is an ideal way to lower energy consumption by insuring that each area is accurately monitored and maintaining the specified set points. The smart building automation software that is used by Advanced Control Corporation analyzes energy use to provide energy savings and still maintain the comfort of the inhabitants. In addition, it has the capacity to receive, store and analyze metering and sensor data provided to optimize and track energy use.

Advanced Control also has the technology to help you increase your building’s electricity efficiency and lower your costs with lighting control.  The range of control can be from a basic control system for lighting and equipment switching applications which are ideal for use in facilities where time-of-day control is being managed from a time clock or centralized building management system to a fully automatic lighting control for all of your facilities lighting circuits. These lighting control systems can be incorporated as part of a new construction project or retrofitted to your facilities existing lighting circuits to allow all types of buildings to have the efficient control of the lighting circuits.

Call Advanced Control Corporation today and let one of our energy experts customize a building automation system for your company.  Advanced Control provides building automation in South Florida, as well as energy management, access control, CCTV solutions and more. For more information, call 954-491-6660 today.

 

Energy Retrofits and Building Automation Save the Life and Expenses of a Building

The environmental impact buildings have on the United States is at alarming levels — accounting for 40% of the nation’s energy usage and an equal percentage of carbon output, and adding to that water consumption, waste management and vehicle transportation for waste management as well as employees of the building, it is clear change is necessary.

Building automation is the leading solution towards streamlining building energy management.   Although LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is a goal for many new buildings, oftentimes the certification covers only the construction and design process.  It’s simple when it’s a project being worked on externally by a team. But once the building is occupied and in use, oftentimes the building maintenance team poorly manages lighting control, elevator access control, heating / ventilation and air conditioning, the building’s efficiency potential is not met, and the building uses an unnecessary amount of energy.

Not only should the focus be on constructing a sustainable Building Solution, but also on retrofitting old buildings to also be greener and more energy efficient.  By conserving water and utilizing renewable energy, as well as implementing building automation systems, even older buildings can benefit from energy retrofittings.

Most building occupants applaud and welcome the idea of greening a building, but when it comes to behavioral change for the individual, many fail to change their ways, keeping the greening process from reaching its potential. Simple habit changes such as manually turning lights on after a timer has shut them off, or returning cutlery and dishes to the dishwasher instead of tossing out disposable plasticware can be unwelcomed by employees.

Old buildings represent only 4% of LEED-certified square footage, but account for a fifth of LEED registered square feet.  Making existing buildings greener poses a number of challenges, as it is a multi-faceted project to attack and integrate building systems.  The coordination of a number of priorities is necessary, and oftentimes, they are clashing. For instance, meeting the requirements of energy efficiency with heating and air conditioning, while meeting the the comfort needs of occupants.  Oftentimes instead of the greening falling under one large project, it is broken into conflicting pieces where different departments overlook a specific aspect of the building while it clashes with the energy needs of another aspect.

Above all other challenges, the budget for going green is the most difficult for building owners and building management to monitor and control.  Most organizations have a long list of budget priorities and constraints, with an aim to increase their bottom line as much as possible.  While going green does provide an increased return on investment, it takes some time to create and see the changes.

Energy Experts say the key to greener buildings is Systems Integration and Building Automation

Industry experts are increasingly recommending that officials must integrate systems that control daily operations of buildings into an enterprise network for improved communications and efficiency between and amongst the devices.  By doing so, crucial improvements in energy management and energy efficiency will occur, and buildings will perform better.

By using system integration, connecting buildings will provide more intelligent and green buildings for both new structures designed with building automation solutions, and older ones that undergo energy retrofits.

Those who attended the “Designing Government Buildings for the 21st Century” event in Washington D.C. took away some worthwhile information.  Buildings, which account for about 40% of energy consumption in the United States, are currently performing in counterintuitive ways, wasting energy through lighting, HVAC, lack of elevator access control and more.  These systems remain disconnected from one another, and more often than not are pulling energy at times when there is no need for it.

Currently the federal government is mandating a ZeroNet Building Solution, setting goals for federal building management to reduct carbon emissions to zero over the next 20 years.  The Obama administration is focusing on the environment, looking to achieve energy efficiency through integrating building systems.

By focusing on technology to automate buildings as well as monitor and control building control systems, building management can make buildings perform smarter and greener.  Through system networks, systems can be combined into a set that connects and automates a number of variables within a building, including communications, computing, power, control and closed circuit television (CCTV) security systems.

Whether a building is undergoing retrofits, or is being newly constructed, building managers who are integrating systems or choosing building automation are adding at least six different server devices that run and manage HVAC, lighting control, power, security, and elevators, and more often than not these systems do not communicate with each other.

Building energy management and IT must integrate systems by aligning the systems through their logical and physical networks.  Emerging technology such as power-over-Ethernet is a vital means of distributing local electricity to necessary devices or areas.  By converging systems, buildings run more efficiently and the systems communication improves.