CONDO ARCHIVES

Old Systems, New Technology – Better performance from chillers, boilers and HVAC systems

June 2022

Want to live comfortably in a high-rise building?  It all depends on your heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system.  This is what provides fresh air that is comfortable for the time of year and gets rid of stale air.  Without a properly functioning and maintained system all sorts of bad things happen including mould and illness.

Newer technologies in the form of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence allow you to do more with less.  They allow your existing systems to work better.  This means improved comfort, better energy efficiency and lower costs.

Savings are considerable.  Electricity can be the largest item in a condo budget representing up to 40 percent of all expenditures.  Even small savings amount to big dollars.  While all buildings are different to some extent, most can increase energy savings, efficiency and performance.

It all begins with an assessment of your current building.  Mechanical rooms and equipment are assessed to determine energy use and waste, along with opportunities to reduce costs and improve performance.  Existing problems are identified.  Perhaps parts of the building are too hot while other areas are too cold.

 

Once complete, the assessment is reviewed and recommendations are made.  These may include sensors for improved measurement and reporting on energy use.  Sensors will likely send information over the internet (IoT) to a system for calculating optimal HVAC settings for your building.  Changes can be automatically implemented by controllers receiving these optimal settings over the internet. Smart thermostats may be recommended for suites that, combined with other data, report on overall building requirements.  These are reviewed by the board and condominium manager.

Artificial intelligence combined with sensors and controllers brings everything together.  Weather predictions obtained over the internet can be used to determine optimal building conditions with systems automatically adjusted.  In-suite sensors and smart thermostats allow the central system to adjust conditions for each suite based on personal preferences while maintaining efficient energy utilization.  Comfort is improved throughout an entire building.  Reporting is enhanced making it easier to identify and resolve problems sooner.

Sensors and controllers can be added to motors, chillers and boilers so they can also be automatically controlled.

Entire buildings work smarter.  Condo boards and management have access to reports showing how energy use has changed and resulting savings.

Systems generally have a payback of less then two years making them both affordable and practical.  Utility savings can be in the 20 to 30 percent range each year.

It all begins with Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.

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