Energy
Savings: A large portion of the electric bill for a typical commercial
building is the "Demand Charge". The demand charge for the entire
month (for an entire year with some utility suppliers) is based on the maximum
amount of electricity used in any one15 minute period within that month.
Let's use an example of a 40,000 SF building that has 5 hvac units. Typically
those 5 units will be cycling on & off at random times to keep various areas
of the building comfortable. Normally they will not all be operating at the
same time; but it is likely that at some random time during the month they will
all be on at the same time, even though for just a short period of time. The
demand charge on the electric bill for the entire month will be based on that
one time that all of the units were running at once. (Assuming that was
the highest electric draw for the month, which it probably was.)
A BAS can control how many units operate at any one time, without
sacrificing comfort, and significantly lower the demand charge on the electric
bill. The BAS will automatically sense which areas need hvac the
most and allow those units to run. The BAS has the ability to continuously
sense various conditions and serve the areas that need hvac. This can not
be achieved with standard or programmable wall thermostats.
BAS's perform may other functions to conserve energy, one of which
is setback for unoccupied conditions. Theoretically setback could be achieved
with a programmable thermostat, but it is rarely done effectively in a commercial
application. In most cases, soon after the installation of programmable thermostats,
employees reprogram or simply override the thermostats rendering the setback
function ineffective. A BAS constantly monitors conditions and can
be programmed to generate a report or an alarm if preset parameters are out
of range. The BAS can also "float" the setup and setback times based
on many other indoor and outdoor conditions. Again, the floating of the start
& stop time based on multiple conditions can not be achieved with a programmable
wall thermostat.
Comfort: Sometimes 72 degrees feels comfortable, sometimes
it feels too cool and sometimes it feels too warm. Several conditions can cause
this, one of which is the humidity level. An automated control system can "float"
the room temperature based on other conditions (such as humidity) to maintain
optimum comfort at all times.
Another example is during the winter 72 degrees may feel comfortable in an interior
room, but in a room with an outside wall 72 degrees may feel chilly on a cold
day. This is due to the radiation effect on the occupants' skin from the cold
wall. An automated control system can float the indoor temperature in rooms
with an outside wall based on the outdoor temperature, so that the room always
feels comfortable. Again, not possible without an automated control system.
There are many other functions that a BAS can perform to conserve energy
and improve comfort. Please contact us to learn
more.
Reduce Maintenance/Repair Costs & Extend Equipment Life:
An automation system can monitor the "vital signs" of HVAC equipment
and send out an alarm if the operating efficiency or other parameters get out
of an acceptable range; indicating a need for service before minor problems
turn into major problems. Most major equipment failures are caused by a minor
problem that could have been detected several weeks prior to the major breakdown.
