Smart Buildings | Building Automation

Variable air volume in HVAC systems offers several benefits to humanity. It works as shielding and provides the highest comfort. VAV is a ventilating, air conditioning, and heating system offering sufficient safety against changing weather conditions. It is equipped with a supply duct that cools or heats the environment by providing an air supply at the desired temperature. Its complete phenomenon depends on the supply of the air temperature, which helps add or decrease heat in an environment.

So, all in all, a VAV system is a reliable way by which suitable room temperature in a given environment is controlled using dynamic changes in air quantity. A variable air volume system includes furnaces, major ducts, thermostats, secondary ducts, air handlers, VAV boxes, condensing units, and diffusers. Other supportive parts have fans, filters, heating and cooling coils, and fire dampers. All the components are synchronized to offer a comfortable and cozy ambiance in a building.

Different parameters for variable air volume system in HVAC

1. Humidity: An enclosed space with no major openings needs an efficient VAV system, as a massive rise in humidity can be hazardous. Places like conference halls require a VAV system to eliminate the humidity.

2. Heating: Heating is a major furnace function in the VAV system. It has heating coils in the duct to provide heating.

3. Cooling: Cooling is also a major function of a VAV system, distributed according to demand. The cold air is managed to maintain the desired ventilation needs.

4. Temperature: the air volume delivered is set at a specific temperature to control the temperature of the space. The air is distributed by the VAV boxes using a thermostat.

5. Pressure: VAV systems can depressurize different areas to offer efficient thermal comfort using a dynamic approach.

Features of a VAV system

The VAV air conditioning system has several benefits:

1. Enhanced optimization and low-volume air flow sensors offer high and low-range air offering better environmental comfort.

2. VAV system is decked with low-noise actuators and an air valve DC motor to offer enhanced environmental comfort.

3. It includes precise temperature comfort control and air quality control parameters to promote energy saving and comfort.

4. It also has a demand control strategy to offer minimum energy consumption.

Benefits of a VAV system

1. The system offers a very small margin of error. You can easily maintain the temperature within a one-degree difference.

2. It offers the highest efficiency of an HVAC system.

3. The operational cost of using VAV air conditioning is lower than others.

4. It needs minimal upkeep.

Cons of a VAV system

1. The system needs some air for circulation and filtration.

2. A lack of maintenance can lead to noise pollution. Hence, time-to-time service is essential.

Points to keep in mind when installing a VAV system

1. Do not oversize the VAV systems.

2. Install the system by focusing on diversity. Ensure to spread the load through different supply ducts

3. Keep a check on the VAV terminal block for minimum and maximum flow, as it helps in the right maintenance of the system

Air conditioning is one of the most difficult things to live without. Irrespective of the type of air conditioner you have, following proper maintenance practices is the right way to keep it running effectively.

Different air conditioning uses different systems to cool. The most common are variable air volume systems and mini split or ductless systems. Both systems need special care to work in their best condition.

Variable air volume

Multiply-story buildings have water-cooled HVAC systems serving the complete building. They use chilled water instead of refrigerant to eliminate heat. Cold water is pumped from a big chiller serving the complete building through pipes.

If your building has a water-cooled system, you need proper equipment that connects to your building's base system and circulates air all around. Variable air volume HVAC systems are installed for this. It offers better temperature, lower compressor wear, and less fan noise.

Ductless mini splits

Ductless mini splits are systems to cool a particular area where ductwork cannot be done. A conduit links the indoor and outdoor units with electric circuits and refrigerant. As no duct is needed, ductless split systems are simpler to install.

Both systems need proper maintenance and cleaning for efficient function.

Significance of Maintenance

Though all heating and air conditioning systems need regular maintenance, offering your ductless mini split and VAV system the consistent attention and servicing it needs is especially important.

These systems require free air circulation for the indoor and outdoor units to operate effectively. Hence, periodic filter cleaning is vital to keep your unit operating in good condition. If you fail to clean the filters, it will not just waste your money and energy but also damage the expensive components of the system.

Cleaning condenser coils

Apart from the basic filter changes, you should also clean the condenser coils. First, turn off the unit's power to avoid any electric shock and give it some time to cool down. Till then, you can look at the outdoor unit. Ensure there is a 4-feet clearance in all the units.

After the unit is cool, you can clean the air filter, coil, and other components using a dry cloth. It is also important to see the growth of any mold or mildew. Also, check the ice and condensation buildup.

If you think you cannot do it on your own, go for a full professional inspection.

Professional inspection

Schedule a yearly assessment, cleaning, and tune-up of the HVAC units. Hire professional technicians to comprehensively check your VAV and ductless systems and recommend the maintenance they need. It will help save on high emergency repairs and also maintain high cooling.

Effect of good maintenance

As per Massachusetts Mass Save, an inefficiently maintained mini split or VAV control system can use 25% additional energy to operate daily. Hence, it is very important to focus on food maintenance.

BAS for retail chains and malls or a Building Automation System is a network created to automate and connect certain functions in a building. All the control systems of your mall and retail facility, such as Air Conditioning, ventilation, heating and lighting, security systems, and fire systems - all functions are wired through a single set of control. BAS for retail chains and malls are part of green buildings, as well.  

An automated building is known as an intelligent or smart building. The features are what make these buildings smart. A building automation system assists in maintaining energy efficiency and indoor air quality by keeping track of the related systems. The system doesn't just work on a particular building; it can connect a chain of retail stores or malls. So, if you want to manage your commercial property, which includes multiple buildings, all of it can be easily supervised through one single interface. Building automation for malls and retail chains will help you manage work smarter and easier. 

Here are the top three features that you would need in your building automation system for malls and retail chains -

The interface of BAS: The user interface or the terminal is the most important feature of a BAS system for retail chains and malls because it is used as a medium for accessing important data to discover potential issues, inefficiencies, and errors. A poor user interface will not provide you with relevant business data or tools that your management team requires to make the necessary modification. As retail chain and mall owners, managers need visual data to get user-friendly information regularly and can use the gathered data in various forms, such as a comparative study of energy savings vs. comfort. A BAS system helps you to make the required changes based on real-time analytics. It helps make decisions on matters like reducing energy costs and improving occupants' comfort.

Upgradable system: Another key feature of a BAS system for malls is that it should be upgradable. It is very important to have an integrated system for your building that can add new modifications and features to its system. This will enable it to stick with the existing ecosystem. The upgrade function allows you to keep your BAS system flexible and modified.

Future-proof system: This is one of the most important key features that you need to have in your BAS for malls and retails. As a mall owner, you need to have a system installed that is future-proof. This feature will ensure that your system doesn't become obsolete. With the changes in technology regularly, your system will get obsolete in just a decade, so you need to have BAS with features that can keep it updated with changing technology in your industry. This feature will also help you develop necessary plans or strategies to meet the needs of your retail chain and mall business regularly.

One out of three man-made structures in the world houses some kind of business or workplace for people. What's more, these structures along with the machinery working to keep them running (your buildings) produce huge amounts of CO2 into our atmosphere, which doesn't help with global warming and climate change at all. With that said in mind, it's important that you as business owners be informed about your company's carbon footprint. You can avoid greenhouse gas emissions by making sure that you have efficient buildings and replacing old devices with newer ones-which will improve occupant satisfaction because they will be more comfortable while they are there taking care of business!

What is a Building Automation System?

A building automation system (BAS) is a technology that monitors and controls certain vital aspects of a building - such as temperature, lighting, ventilation, and security. When linked with other devices like sensors in doorways or elevators, BAS is able to give you reminders of when you arrive at your workplace so that you know where to go, in addition to playing music and illuminating the room automatically to match your mood. This brings us to one of the most important features of BAS: Lighting. Proper lighting control can lead to significant energy savings in commercial offices, which makes this aspect of it extremely useful for optimizing sustainability as well. All-in-all then, BAS is a software program that helps people manage and operate their buildings better thanks to all the extra information being transmitted about them!

You can guarantee four core tasks with this technology in place

Presence of alert or sound alarms when needed

Performance of monitor and correct system

Accessing operating systems according to occupancy and energy demand

Controlling the building environment

How Can BAS Work for Retail Buildings?

A building automation system is what facilities managers depend on to control temperature, airflow, and lighting in commercial retail spaces. They can be beneficial, but there are other factors that come into play when considering if installing one is worth the trouble or not. For example, a typical retail building automation system may require frequent repairs or unforeseen upgrades simply because it wasn’t built to handle the technology needs of businesses in the future.

Growing Significance of Building Automation in Retail Spaces

Smart building not just makes things practical for facilities managers but also reduces energy costs. BAS will control your retail building’s setting as well as uncover the likely inadequacies or areas of development. Additionally, it facilitates special features such as limited access that make your building secure. It’s good to invest in BAS as this will benefit you in various ways such as:

Improved equipment life cycle

Data collection

Energy-efficiency

Better security

Low energy costs

Improved occupant comfort