Throughout the decades, advances in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technology have made it easier, more cost-effective, and more convenient to live comfortably in a wide range of climate and weather conditions the world over, from sweltering summers to bitter winters. From improvements in design to new integrated technologies, these advances have especially been a boon for businesses seeking to ensure that their building’s employees remain healthy, comfortable, and productive no matter the outdoor weather conditions.
Chiller Systems Service’s HVAC team has made sure to keep up with these advances to ensure our commercial and industrial customers across Colorado have climate control systems they can count on. Read on to find out how smart building technology can integrate with HVAC systems to ensure comfortable working environments while driving down electricity bills and reducing your environmental footprint.
What is smart building technology?
Ever since the publication of short stories in the golden age of science fiction like Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” or animated sitcom The Jetsons’ visions of an atomic-age future, humans have been captivated by the idea of a house that runs itself. Today, smart homes aren’t science fiction, and neither are smart office buildings, schools, hospitals, or industrial facilities.
Today’s smart building technology includes Internet of Things (IoT) appliances, locks, lighting, cameras, and access control, security, and climate control systems that connect to a single, easily controllable centralized system. In commercial properties, building management systems (BMS) connect mechanical and electrical systems to a computer that controls and monitors them. While not everything is fully automated like in sci-fi media, smart buildings dramatically simplify managing your building while also making it easier to avoid wasting electricity.
Exploring the HVAC Building Management System
Smart buildings, of course, can also integrate HVAC into their BMS for more efficient and convenient climate control. These smart technologies are currently seeing use in commercial and industrial buildings across the world to drive advances in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning:
- Smart thermostats and zoning controls that automatically optimize temperature control based on building occupancy, time of day, or even local weather patterns, without the need for manual intervention
- Air quality sensors embedded into ductwork provide real-time data on pollutants, carbon dioxide, humidity, and temperature and automatically adjust your ventilation system to compensate
- Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) systems that adjust the volume of fresh air based on occupancy rates by collecting data from your building’s smart access control systems
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) on your fans and pumps to precisely control fan and pump seeds, with settings managed by your smart building technology
- Sensors embedded within your smart HVAC system, such as vibration sensors, can monitor performance, detect inefficiencies and potential failures in real time, and send automatic preventive maintenance alerts to prevent or minimize system downtime
The Benefits of Smart Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation Systems
Smart buildings have long been an object of fascination both in pop culture and real life for the simple reason that streamlining your building’s operations using automation and smart technology saves time, energy, and money while keeping your occupants healthy and happy.
Energy Cost Savings
Connecting your energy management systems to your HVAC systems ensures your heating, cooling, and ventilation adjust themselves based on real-time data to reduce unnecessary electricity consumption.
During peak demand periods, your smart HVAC can control its load to reduce energy costs without sacrificing comfort for your building’s occupants. By having HVAC integrated into your building management system, you could also make your building eligible for energy rebate programs or utility-sponsored demand response initiatives.
Lower Operating Costs
Smart, data-driven automation of your HVAC systems reduces not only your electricity costs, but also your maintenance costs as well. Predictive analysis sensors help you avoid costly emergency repairs and downtime by alerting you to potential failures before they happen.
Your BMS HVAC system also prevents unnecessary strain on your heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment, further prolonging its lifespan and maximizing your initial investment in your HVAC system.
Improved Comfort and Health
Advances in HVAC systems driven by smart building technology make it easier to provide clean air to your occupants and precisely control the temperature across your building. As a result, occupants enjoy a stable, comfortable environment wherever they are and stay healthy—no more Sick Building Syndrome!
Upgrade Your Commercial HVAC with Chiller Systems Service
Since 1997, our in-house team of HVAC technicians has stayed on the cutting edge of advances in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technology to ensure that our commercial and industrial companies across the Colorado Front Range can rely on best-value, turnkey HVAC solutions that cost-effectively and energy-efficiently control their building’s climate.
Whether you need 24/7/365 maintenance services, help choosing and installing new HVAC equipment, or advice to improve your HVAC’s energy efficiency and take advantage of tax credits and rebates, we’re in your corner and ready to meet your highest standards.
Get in touch with us today to get started and bring your HVAC into the 21st century.