The internet has brought us a great deal of power. We are currently able to control so many things from the comfort of our couches that we can often take this for granted. It is incredible to see technology grow to facilitate our lives at such a staggering rate and yet, there may be a lot of things that we could do more efficiently.
Even though we are now accustomed to simplify our lives through the use of technology there may be areas that we overlook. Maybe we think that technology is not there yet, or too expensive for us to afford in a particular field. That is still true, but more often than not a few minutes of searching can yield great results that can make your life a little (or a lot) better.
This is clearly the case when it comes to HVAC and other related controls, and we will discuss why in a bit of detail as we explore the topic in this article.
Perhaps you are a newcomer to this world of remote administration of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems (HVAC for short), or maybe you are a veteran looking to improve your current setup. You will find useful information here regardless.
We have started to see many options recently that are able to bring these kinds of useful features to consumers as well as big and small businesses, but it is always a plus to leave your concerns in any given field in the hands of experienced professionals instead of going with an untested option. A-TECH Engineering Ltd is a company that is focused on providing the best in terms of user experience, working with well-known providers of equipment that is sure to work as intended.
The main objective here is to put systems in place that will enable a user to receive alerts and monitor the way in which a given set of devices is operating, to ensure that energy efficiency is at peak levels at all times.
With a good HVAC monitoring system on your side, you can be sure that machines spend as little as they possibly can to maintain the optimal range of conditions in your given working environment, which helps lower energy costs by a lot and can simplify a few crucial tasks. All of this is, of course, at the tip of your fingers nowadays. A-TECH Engineering Ltd has worked hard to produce a top-of-the-line HVAC Monitoring App to ensure that you can get all the benefits of this technique. It has been built from the ground up to interact well with the most popular providers of equipment and many other BACnet-compliant pieces of hardware.
The process of setting this kind of thing up can be cumbersome at times, but A-TECH Engineering Ltd makes sure that there is no pain in it. An HVAC Control App such as the one that is provided will enable you to control as well as monitor, the amount of control you have depends on your hardware setup, but it is often enough to make a big difference and save you from an emergency car trip to turn a physical nob or flip a switch.
But what is it exactly that enables us to control these devices from afar with precision? This technology is built around two main components: Sensors and Connectivity. Much of what is available today in this field would not have been possible ten years ago. Much of the technology involved was either too expensive or non-existent. Let us break down these two so that we can better understand what is happening when we operate these machines in such a convenient way.
Sensors
These are the way in which a particular piece of equipment is capable of measuring certain aspects of its surroundings and report its own operation. It is possible today to acquire very accurate and reliable sensor equipment for almost any piece of hardware, we can even rely on the ones that are present in our own cellphones. That is the case because the cost of quality digital sensors has dropped significantly in the last few years and they are now cheaper to make. They are also smaller, more reliable, and packed with a lot more reporting features than ever before. Current HVAC equipment is capable of reading its environment and use that data to adjust its operation according to preset parameters. That means that we are now able to establish our desired outcome and let the machine do its work.
The equipment will also periodically inform a lot of useful data, such as how much energy it is consuming and many other operational details. This can help to quickly diagnose any malfunction remotely, which can then can either be addressed in the same way or in person. This enables companies and consumers to always be able to operate at peak efficiency, spending as little as possible to achieve the necessary conditions.
The most common sensors that come with this kind of equipment are Temperature, Pressure, and Humidity. There are other options available and different combinations depending on the equipment and manufacturer.
Armed with these, the machinery can be instructed to maintain a certain range of conditions. This is very useful when trying to control the temperature in a Hotel or office, for instance. But it is also very important in an industrial environment to make sure that the equipment is operating at nominal conditions. Many such places have come to rely on this kind of technology to operate, and the technology itself is more reliable than ever.
All of this reporting is only useful as long as it can be communicated in real-time to wherever it needs to get to. That is where the other aspect of this technological advancement comes into place.
Connectivity
We have come to expect that each of our gadgets is connected to the internet and can talk to each other in some form or another. Our phones talk to our computers, TVs and even refrigerators. The number of so-called “smart” devices continues to grow and is a trend that is expected to continue to rise in the future.
Most current equipment offers a connectivity solution and many are well-designed to interact even with similar equipment of different brands and third parties through what is known as BACnet.
BACnet
Building Automation and Control networks are a form of standard protocol that is designed exactly with the purpose that we have been discussing in mind. It enables devices that have different functions and may even be from different brands to interact in a compatible way to provide the user with the ability to control their function. Such protocol is used for controlling all the sensor-related features that we have been discussing, as well as controlling lights, locks, and other features. Our brand new BACnet app interacts with many devices that support this protocol in a flawless way, providing a simple way to control many of these in a streamlined fashion.
IoT
Although BACnet is a dedicated protocol there are other alternatives to having devices connect with each other and a controlling user. The IoT or Internet of Things is the network of intelligent devices that surrounds us. It is comprised of every single piece of equipment that has the ability to connect to the Internet and is an alternative to dedicated protocols such as BACnet. There are advantages and disadvantages to this alternative. It is is very easy to set up and compatibility is also very high. If security is a concern we would recommend that you either take steps to secure these devices or consider other options. The IoT has been growing strongly because it is the main method by which consumer products are connected. It is used in home appliances of all kinds.
Both the networking and sensor solutions available to you will depend on the equipment you are working with. The good thing to keep in mind is that you will be able to use our BMS Monitoring App in most cases due to our high compatibility and support. We work well with the biggest brands in the market and also with smaller vendors that comply with some of the protocols that we have mentioned above.
We highly encourage you to look into this matter further if you have not done so yet. It will make a big difference and simplify a lot of tasks. Once you adopt a remote management solution for your HVAC concerns you will not look back.
If, on the other hand, you are already connected and experienced you will find that A-TECH Engineering Ltd’s brand new App will offer a great improvement, you will benefit from an interface that is designed specially to handle in a simple way the most common concerns when it comes to Monitoring your equipment. You will be able to configure not only the machinery, but also the alerts that you receive. Everything in a single app on your phone.