As
part of our free energy assessment, we often inspect existing Building
Automation Systems. Regardless if the Building Automation System was installed
during the construction of the building or if the System was installed as a
retrofit, there are often areas that are either not controlled or not
controlled very well. In many cases, the existing Building Automation System
can be upgraded via the implementation of additional Variable Frequency Drives
and leak/flood detection.
Provident
Energy utilizes a Siemens Apogee Building Automation System that can be
remotely accessed via the internet. Most Building Automation Systems are owned
by the Condominium Corporation and they are free to choose any Energy
Management company to monitor their system. The take-over should not involve a
full re-installation of the Building Automation System. For any System, the
main control panels can be replaced and in most cases the existing wiring,
sensors and conduits can be re-used (the initial wiring is generally the most
costly and labour intensive step).
As
mentioned earlier, we find many existing Systems leave room for improvement.
For example, the Domestic Hot Water System may have a flat temperature
set-point for the entire day and night. Or, the make-up air handling units may
have VFDs that fluctuate only between 85% and 95%, 24 hours per day – whereas
these units could be slowed down during non-peak hours. Provident Energy can
implement additional control algorithms for existing Building Automation
Systems and we can usually enhance overall energy savings by 4%-7%.
Another
important feature of Provident Energy’s Building Automation System is our
Monitoring Service. Your building’s system will be monitored 24/7 offsite by
Provident Energy’s team of highly skilled technicians for both critical systems
alarms and overall system optimization. This ensures that any issues that may
arise within the buildings critical components will be diagnosed by technicians
and relayed back to the site staff. Early diagnosis of such issues helps to
prolong the life of your critical components, and also helps to ensure that the
residents comfort isn’t compromised in the process.
