The complexity of an HVAC system and how it behaves is not limited anymore to that last compliant or just the set point to maintain pressure in a zone. It has become more complex in this new world of energy and carbon footprint reduction, well-being and outside air scenarios, and the number of fault conditions that occur across thousands of pieces of equipment in a building or facility. The new, digitized age has made this world easier to manage. Over the past several years, new technologies have emerged that have enhanced the tool set for facility engineers owners.
In the past, energy management systems were the tools of choice, using energy consumption in conjunction with building management systems (BMSs) to help facility engineers with key data to assess the situation. U.S. Energy in conjunction with Berkeley National Laboratory* executed a study examining more than eight years of data that revealed an energy consumption analysis can gain 4%-6% in energy reduction. To accomplish this, a facility engineer must notice an issue, “assess” the data in one or multiple systems, and design a corrective action. He must then assess hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of equipment that interact across a facility. Furthermore, he is also responsible for safety and well-being, which can only be “assessed” through manual or certified consultants. But “assess” is the key word here.