Centralized Control Improves HVAC Operational Efficiency
Challenging application required a custom solution
For the inhabitants of a five-story building in New York City, the heating and cooling system had surpassed the point of discomfort. After an extensive remodel and update of the building, the one detail that had been left untouched was the control integration of the HVAC system. The owner of the building located in the Upper East Side was faced with the prospect of a system that operated erratically and inefficiently. At times the air conditioning would come on at the same time as the subfloor heating and humidity levels would vary widely from one area to the next.
The property manager of the building struggled with the multiple systems that needed to be regulated and monitored on a daily basis. The owner soon realized that a dedicated building management system (BMS) would solve many of the issues with the varied air conditioning and heating systems. But controlling and integrating HVAC equipment with a unique proprietary communications protocol would not be possible without a conventional large-scale BMS system. The building, however, was not large enough to have an engineering office with a dedicated BMS terminal and server that most conventional BMS systems require. Conventional BMS equipment also lacks the flexibility to control small boilers and domestic hot water systems. After looking at multiple options, the property manager turned to Advanced Systems Design (ASD), a Milford, Connecticut-based systems integrator.