Sustainable Innovations 6 Building Automations 22 Meet Generation ‘T’ 25

OCTOBER 2019
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HEATING / PIPING / AIR CONDITIONING

Fitting Tribute
Stunning new Colorado HQ and training center
showcase one manufacturer’s commitment to
innovation, education, and style. See p. 14
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Circle 150
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Circle 151
 HEATING / PIPING / AIR CONDITIONING
INSIDE HPAC ENGINEERING
OCTOBER 2019 • VOL. 91, NO. 10

EDITORIAL OFFICE
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EDITORIAL CONTACTS
MIKE EBY
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[email protected]
ROB MCMANAMY
14
FEATURES:
Executive Editor
[email protected]
DAVID ECKHART
Art Director 14 Fitting Tribute
Stunning new headquarters and training center showcase the manufacturer’s
SUSAN POSKIN
Ad Operations Specialist elevated commitment to innovation, education, and style.
By Jason McKinnon
SALES CONTACTS
DIRECTOR OF SALES
22 Data is The Key to All Things Building Automation
MIKE HELLMANN Engineers today must consider all potential data streams needed to
978-289-0098 • Fax: 913-514-6921 optimize operations
[email protected] By Jeffery McClain
SENIOR MANAGER,
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
25 Converting Generation Z to Generation T (Trades)
JOHN EHLEN As the talent crunch intensifies, firms are learning they will have to offer
612-669-7582 • Fax: 763-550-2977 new recruits much more than just a paycheck.
[email protected] By Sarah Mueller and Stacey Holsinger
NORTH CENTRAL
BRETT RYDEN 28 Reap Actionable Data Analytics from Building
312-840-8461 Systems with IoT Platforms
[email protected]
Commercial building operators are poised to take full advantage of
SOUTH & WEST installed systems that now offer massive possibilities for data mining and
RANDY JETER improving performance.
512-263-7280 • Fax: 913-514-6628
[email protected]
By Michael C. Skurla

EAST
BRIAN SACK Editor’s Notes ......................... 4 Classifieds ............................ 32
732-629-1949
[email protected] Clark’s Remarks...................... 6 Ad Index ............................... 32
CLASSIFIEDS/INSIDE SALES New Products ....................... 10
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2 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

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 EDITOR’S NOTES HEATING / PIPING / AIR CONDITIONING

BY ROB MCMANAMY, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
ADVISORY
ADVISORY BOARD:
BOARD:
Coordinating Innovation May Be the Key William
William G.
G. Acker
Acker
Acker
Acker &
& Associates
says Burcin Kaplanoglu, PhD, executive

N
ecessity is the mother of inven- Associates
tion, they say. (Just as deadlines director of the Oracle Construction and William
William P.
P. Bahnfleth,
Bahnfleth, PhD,
PhD, PE
PE
are the father of productivity!) Engineering Innovation Lab. “The key to The Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania State
State
University
University
After decades of resistance, our indus- unlocking substantial, lasting value is in
try is actually a leader in innovation these extracting new intelligence by centralizing David
David W.
W. Bearg,
Bearg, PE
PE
Life
Life Energy
Energy Associates
days, driven by prevailing market condi- and making use of the data generated by Associates
tions and scientific imperatives that are these new tools across the full asset life- Don Beaty,
Don Beaty, PE,
PE, FASHRAE
FASHRAE
allowing engineering creativity to flower cycle — production, installation and op- DLB
DLB Associates
Associates Consulting
Consulting
Engineers
Engineers
throughout the built environment. And eration — of mechanical systems.”
the newer, prevailing emphasis on energy Launched 14 months ago in the Chicago Lawrence
Lawrence (Larry)
(Larry) Clark,
Clark,
efficiency has been embraced whole-heart- suburb of Deerfield IL, the Lab is a simu- QCxP, GGP,
QCxP, GGP, LEED
LEED AP+
AP+
Sustainable
Sustainable Performance
Performance
edly by public and private owners looking lated worksite where contractors and sub- Solutions
Solutions LLC
LLC
to stretch dollars while maintaining ten- contractors can experiment with field use of
Peter
Peter D’Antonio,
D’Antonio, PE,
PE, CEM,
ant comfort for clients as diverse as high the internet of things (IoT), drones, autono- LEED AP
AP
CEM,
LEED
schools, hospitals, offices and data centers. mous equipment, augmented reality (AR), PCD
PCD Engineering
Engineering Inc.
Inc.
“The HVAC industry must keep pace artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning
Kenneth
Kenneth M.
M. Elovitz,
Elovitz, PE,
PE, Esq.
Esq.
with consumer trends,” explains engineer (ML), and other developing technologies. Energy
Energy Economics
Economics Inc.
Inc.
Mark Kuntz, CEO of Mitsubishi Elec- That broad, holistic approach to prob-
tric Trane HVAC US LLC (METUS). lem solving is also manifest in the inter- Thomas Hartman,
Thomas Hartman, PEPE
The
The Hartman
Hartman Co.
Co.
“Sustainability is a core demand driver sections of the sustainability and smart
for energy-efficient technologies capable cities movements. Vast, global problems Asif
Asif Kadiani,
Kadiani, PE,
PE, CEM
CEM
Murphy
Murphy Co.
of reducing source energy and fossil fuel made more manageable by creating a net- Co.
emissions… We’re also seeing a surge in work of interdisciplinary solutions. John H.
John H. Klote,
Klote, PE,
PE, DSc
DSc
the construction of high-performance “As cities commit to meeting rigorous
Valentine
Valentine A.
A. Lehr,
Lehr, PE,
PE,
buildings with integrated systems in the decarbonization goals, there’s been a clear FASHRAE
FASHRAE
built environment.” and decisive move to electrify the U.S. Lehr Consultants International
Lehr Consultants International
Indeed, that emphasis on harvesting energy grid,” notes Kuntz. “(METUS) is Mark S.
S. Lentz,
Lentz, PE
PE
Mark
data for optimizing building performance supporting this trend towards strategic Lentz
Lentz Engineering
Engineering
and commercial space usage is the subject electrification, leveraging our industry ex- Associates
Associates Inc.
Inc.
of two separate innovation stories in this pertise, plus high-performance heat pump Dave
Dave Moser,
Moser, PE,
PE, CPMP
CPMP
issue, one from Schneider Electric (p. 22) and controls technologies to help cities Cascade
Cascade Energy
Energy
and the other from BitBox USA (p. 28). find ways to meet these goals.”
Joel
Joel N.
N. Orr,
Orr, PhD
PhD
Both stories make clear that data will soon According to the U.S. Energy Infor- Orr
Orr Associates
Associates International
International
be driving even more decision-making, mation Administration (EIA), roughly
J.
J. Jay
Jay Santos,
Santos, PE
especially as occupants and facility man- 20 percent of total U.S. energy use goes Facility
PE
Facility Dynamics
Dynamics Engineering
Engineering
agers become more and more comfortable toward powering commercial buildings.
with the new technologies. And about 15 percent of those commercial Andrew
Andrew J.J. Streifel,
Streifel, MPH
MPH
University
University of
of Minnesota
Minnesota
“In the next five years, we see the user buildings have building automation sys-
experience moving from the building en- tems (BAS) that deploy controls, such as James
James P.
P. Waltz,
Waltz, PE,
PE, CEM,
CEM,
gineer and maintenance purview to the sensors that turn on lights or heating for a ACFE
ACFE
Energy
Energy Resource
Resource Associates
Associates Inc.
end user,” writes Jeff McClain, CEM, of room, only when it’s occupied. Expect to Inc.
Schneider Electric Digital Energy. That mi- see those numbers grow rapidly. Gary
Gary W.
W. Wamsley,
Wamsley, PE,
PE, CEM
CEM
JoGar
JoGar Energy
Energy Services
gration will include an increasing reliance One surprising hurdle? Researchers at Services
on machine learning (ML), he notes, where San Diego State University reported last Michael
Michael K.
K. West,
West, PhD,
PhD, PE
PE
building systems will be designed to adapt month that many architects are still slow Advantek
Advantek Consulting
Consulting
on their own to changing circumstances. to include smart controls in building de- Ron
Ron Wilkinson,
Wilkinson, PE,
PE, LEED
LEED AP
AP
“The industry is embracing innova- signs. Perhaps our engineer readers can Wilkinson
Wilkinson Commissioning
Commissioning
tion, but the focus still tends to be on encourage some of their creative com- Management
Management
solving problems one use case at a time,” rades to innovate more outside the box. Gerald
Gerald J.
J. Williams,
Williams, PE,
PE,
LEED
LEED AP
AP
8760 Engineering LLC
8760 Engineering LLC

4 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

SQN Larger fans,
Broader offering

Expanded!
¨

Circle 153
 CLARK’S REMARKS
BY LARRY CLARK, SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS LLC

Global Innovations in Sustainability: A Pulse Check

A look back on some of the latest and most promising technologies discussed this year.

MichaelSvoboda/iStock/Getty Images Plus

As we noted last spring, a team of Scottish and Italian engineers have developed a wave energy converter that could provide low
cost power to coastal homes.

A
lthough some definitions of The first of these, in January, In most galvanic cells, an electro-
“innovation” require that was the thermogalvanic brick, de- chemical reaction causes an electric
it have been introduced to veloped by scientists from King’s current to flow between the electrodes.
market, I prefer a broader definition, College (London), Arizona State In a thermogalvanic cell, a tempera-
especially as it relates to technology. University, and the University of ture differential between the electrodes
Merriam-Webster keeps it simple: New South Wales (Sydney, Austra- — which may be similar metals —re-
the introduction of something new lia). Working together as part of sults in an electromotive potential.
(or) a new idea, method, or device. the PLuS Alliance, the three lead- The thermogalvanic brick generates
Writing about innovative tech- ing research universities aim to electricity when the interior and exte-
nologies, with eco-sustainable im- solve global challenges in the areas rior faces of the brick are maintained at
pacts, has been a priority for me. In of health, social justice, sustain- different temperatures. So a structure
the first eight months of this year, I fo- ability, technology and innovation. built with these bricks will produce
cused on six of what I consider to be The “brick” is actually a galvanic electricity when exposed to the sun,
breakthrough technologies that have cell, similar to a conventional lead- much like a solar photovoltaic cell.
the potential to significantly reduce car- acid battery in that it has dissimi- For emergency housing or storage,
bon emissions, without requiring us to lar metal electrodes immersed in an or housing in developing countries,
abandon all of our creature comforts. electrolyte solution. this could literally be a life changer.

A regular contributor to HPAC Engineering and a member of its editorial advisory board, the author is a principal at Sustain-
able Performance Solutions LLC, a south Florida-based engineering firm focusing on energy and sustainability.

6 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

 CLARK’S REMARKS

vapor-compression refrigeration sys-

tems.” Developed by researchers at
Saarland University in Saarbrucken,
Germany, this device uses so-called
“muscle wire” — that is, shape-mem-
ory metals that remember their origi-
nal shape and return to it after being
deformed. In this case, the muscle
wire, made of nickel-titanium, re-
leases heat when it is mechanically
loaded. Then, when unloaded, it ab-
sorbs heat from its surrounding fluid.
The prototype was able to cool air by
continuously loading and unloading
muscle wire bundles.
Since it doesn’t use any refriger-
ants, it’s environmentally friendly
Researchers have been particularly active overseas in exploring alternative and according to the researchers, it’s
technologies for vapor-compression refrigeration. two to three times more efficient than
vapor-compression refrigeration.
Next in my favorite innovations wave energy generators produced When used to replace water-cooled
of 2019, in March, I wrote about an- nearly 4W in the approximately air conditioners or heat pumps, it
other type of electrochemical cell: the 80-ft-dia.-x-7-ft-deep test tank. The would also eliminate the need for
fuel cell. But not just any fuel cell. team believes that at commercial high-pressure piping or intermediate
This fuel cell, developed by research- scale, the system could provide low heat exchangers.
ers at the Ulsan National Institute of cost power to 100 coastal homes. Also in April, I followed up on that
Science and Technology in South Ko- In April, my hit parade of inno- hydrogen producing hybrid fuel cell
rea, produces electricity with hydro- vations selection was what the U.S. discussed in March, with a descrip-
gen — not water — as its byproduct Dept. of Energy and the EU Commis- tion of a solar-powered electrolyzer.
and water instead of hydrogen as its sion have called “the most promising Developed by a team of scientists at
fuel. Because hydrogen is considered alternative technology to existing Stanford University and Beijing Uni-
a “clean” (zero carbon emission) fuel,
this hybrid fuel cell, if scaled up to
commercial capacity, could be used
in such applications as desalination
of sea water, since both the salt and
the hydrogen required for its opera-
tion would be plentifully available.
The fuel cell would produce fresh wa-
ter, electricity, and hydrogen for use
as a fuel.

Waves of the Future

Also in March, I wrote about a
wave energy converter, developed
by a team of Scottish and Italian en-
gineers from the University of Edin-
burg, the University of Trento, Bo-
logna, and the Sant’Anna School of
Advanced Studies in Pisa. Using a
dielectric elastomer (flexible rubber Proliferating data centers are notorious for high energy use, prompting accelerated
membrane) generator, the prototype efforts to develop greater efficiencies.

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 7

 CLARK’S REMARKS

Transcending industries, a biomedical engineer has designed the breakthrough Bivacor artificial heart. It has only one moving part, a
spinning disc suspended in a magnetic field (similar to maglev chiller compressors), to pump blood through a body’s circulatory system.

versity of Chemical Technology, the RPM, but their very low friction make who has been working on this project
electrolyzer can use untreated seawa- them more energy efficient than con- since 2001, when his father was diag-
ter as its “fuel”. The research team ventional heat pump compressors, nosed with a serious heart condition.
was able to develop both a multi- resulting in 20-to-30 percent higher The device has only one moving part,
layer electrode to resist saltwater cor- heat transfer coefficients. Since the using a spinning disc suspended in
rosion, and a catalyst that repels salt design of these small, low-friction, a magnetic field (similar to maglev
molecules. Their prototype produced high-speed wheels is extremely com- chiller compressors), to pump blood
400 mA/cm2 at 2.1 V with real seawa- plex, the EPFL team used artificial through a body’s circulatory system.
ter, and showed no degradation after intelligence (AI) to run hundreds of Earlier this year, the Texas Heart In-
1,000 hours of operation. Commer- thousands of high-speed simulations. stitute implanted a Bivacor heart into
cialization of this technology could a cow, for a successful 90-day trial.
result in pollution-free power plants Behold, the Mechanical Heart To date, there have been at least 15
using seawater as their fuel. Finally, although I haven’t yet cows and several sheep implanted with
July’s focus was on another break- written about it, and it has nothing the device, and researchers are mov-
through from the Ecole Polytech- (and everything) to do with our in- ing toward human trials. The Bivacor
nique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), dustry, my pick for the best innova- heart is encased in titanium, which is
a Swiss university and research in- tion so far this year is the Bivacor corrosion-resistant and inert in the
stitute that specializes in science and artificial heart. Historical artificial human body to avoid rejection. When
engineering. According to their web- heart designs have relied on me- this device completes human trials and
site, EPFL publishes an average of chanical pumps modeled after the is approved by the FDA, it will have the
382 scientific articles each month, so four chambers of the human heart. potential to save millions of lives.
it’s no surprise that this is the second Since the human heart, at an aver- These innovations, as remark-
shout-out that I’ve given them this age rate of 80 times per minute, will able as they all are, represent only a
year. This latest noteworthy innova- beat 42 million times in a year (that’s fraction of the technological break-
tion is EPFL’s use of artificial intel- more than 3 billion times in an av- throughs that have happened so far
ligence (AI) to develop microturbo- erage life), designing a reliable me- this year. As Arthur C. Clarke, one
compressors to energy-efficient heat chanical pump has been a formidable of my favorite authors when I was a
pumps. These small diameter (less challenge. The Bivacor heart was youngster, put it so well: “Any suffi-
than one inch) microturbocompres- developed by Daniel Timms, Ph.D. ciently advanced technology is equiv-
sors rotate at speeds up to 500,000 Dr. Timms is a biomedical engineer alent to magic.”

8 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

SUSTAINABLE
FRONTIERS

HPAC ENGINEERING LIBRARY

SUSTAINABLE FRONTIERS
A Special HPAC Engineering eBook
HPAC Engineering is providing a handy reference guide
to some of our best writing on sustainability issues in the
past year. What better place to turn than the ever-evolving
archives of our most prolific contributor, sustainability
expert Larry Clark.

This collection includes the following ‘Clarks Remarks’:

• New UN Report Elevates Wake-Up Call to Five-Alarm Status
• Climate Change: Are You Part of the Solution
• Light Control Window That Kills Microbes
• Breating Easier: New Air Purifier Turning Heads
• NREL’s EcoSnap-AC Aims to Shake the Market
• Ingenuity & Will Can Solve Global Water Crisis
• Sunny Florida Sustains Ambitious Solar Vision DOWNLOAD THIS
• Singapore Researchers See Breakthrough in Separating FREE EBOOK TODAY!
Cooling, Dehumidifying Foundering Furnaces.

TO DOWNLOAD THIS EBOOK, GO TO:

WWW.HPAC.COM Circle 154

 FROM THE FIELD NEW PRODUCTS

Building Integration, Cybersecurity Solutions Suite

Honeywell introduces a next-generation suite of solutions enabled by the Honeywell
Forge for Buildings platform to help drive facility efficiency and oversight, stream-
line complex functions and deliver savings across an enterprise. These technologies
leverage IoT connectivity, interoperable systems and data sharing and adaptive
workflows. The EBI R600 building management system helps connect, monitor
and manage core building functions. The DVM R700 enhanced digital surveillance
system delivers a detailed view of operations and enterprise-wide integrated pro-
tection. The CCS R300 facility visualization application with intuitive interface brings
performance data to building personnel through enhanced map navigation and
editing capabilities. Also includes a portfolio of enhanced cybersecurity solutions.
Honeywell Building Technologies
www.honeywell.com

Aircuity Platform with BACnet Client Capability

Aircuity adds BACnet Client capability to the Aircuity platform. This critical
interoperability feature is designed to give customers a cost-effective way
to view a broad picture of their facility’s operation. It integrates additional
points available on the network from building systems and present them
alongside Aircuity’s data, reducing integration costs and giving clients an
easy way to get a holistic view of all key building parameters. BACnet Cli-
ent is currently available on all new Aircuity projects and can be remotely
loaded on customers’ existing systems.
Aircuity
www.aircuity.com

Metasys 10.0 Building Management System

Johnson Controls introduces Metasys 10.0, designed to provide facility person-
nel with smarter building automation, faster responses to critical alarms and
new integrations with fire detection, security and lighting systems — all with vis-
ibility from a single common interface. It includes new integrations with C·CURE
9000 Access Control and victor Video Management Systems, and simpler inte-
grations with SIMPLEX Fire Systems and with lighting systems from leading light-
ing providers. A new Metasys Application Programming Interface enables data
to be securely extracted from the System and integrated with Johnson Controls
or third-party data visualization tools for robust data analysis and reporting.
Johnson Controls Building Technologies & Solutions
www.johnsoncontrols.com

FT 6050 Smart Transceiver

Adesto’s FT 6050 Smart Transceiver system-on-chip (SoC) now natively supports LON,
LON/IP, BACnet/IP and BACnet MS/TP protocol stacks. Its open systems approach al-
lows BACnet workstations and LON network manager and integrator tools to natively
field-configure, provision and monitor controllers as either LON or BACnet devices, or
both. This enables a flexible architecture that combines the best of both worlds, all while
taking advantage of the fault tolerant and scalable FT media. New enhancements to the
include improvements to the memory architecture to allow for larger, higher fidelity ap-
plications, enabling creation of extensive systems.
Adesto Technologies Corp.
www.adestotech.com

10 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

 FROM THE FIELD NEW PRODUCTS

Solo-Control Individual Air Volume Control System

Metropolitan Air Technology offers an affordable solution to the occupant comfort problem that
plagues office dwellers and building management companies: the Solo-Control Individual Air
Volume Control System. Push button damper adjustment allows room occupants to increase
or decrease the flow of conditioned air into their space. The system includes the MAT wall
control unit and a patented Electro-Balance radial damper. The units are self-contained and
can be installed in minutes with snap-fit connectors. No programming or electrical work is
required. Adjustable min and max open damper position settings can be used to address
system balancing concerns. It is compatible with all round and rectangular HVAC ducting.
Available in two models: battery powered and 24VAC.
Metropolitan Air Technology
www.metairtech.com

Neuron Drop-In Tankless Water Heaters

Intellihot introduces the Neuron Series of commercial tankless water heaters: the iN401 and iN501, providing up
399,999 and 499,999 Btu/hr., respectively. Both models feature direct cellular LTE connectivity for remote moni-
toring and independently controlled twin engines offering built-in redundancy. Designed for hotels, restaurants
and schools, the drop-in-ready tankless units fit existing water and gas connections, eliminating the need to re-
pipe and cutting installation time in half. The compact and lightweight units are 8 in. slimmer than a typical tank
and fit in the narrowest of spaces, including standard doorways and elevators.
Intellihot
www.intellihot.com

Algae Insects
Water filter optimizes
Airborne
heat transfer efficiency
Leaves Particles
Pollen
PROBLEM:
Airborne dust and debris, microbiological
Cooling growth, pollen and other materials collect
Tower
Heat in cooling towers. Combined with calcium
Exchanger
carbonate, magnesium silicate, rust, iron
chips, scale and other corrosion by-products,
Rust they reduce heat transfer efficiency.
Water
Filter
SOLUTION:
Line pressure powered Orival water filters
O
R

remove dirt down to micron size, of any

IV
A

specific gravity, even lighter than water.

L

Single units handle flow rates from 10-5000

gpm and clean automatically without
interruption of system flow.
213 S. Van Brunt St. RESULTS:
Englewood, NJ 07631
(800) 567-9767
• Optimized heat transfer efficiency.
(201) 568-3311 • Fax (201) 568-1916 • Elimination of unscheduled downtime
Automatic Self-Cleaning www.orival.com for maintenance.
WATER FILTERS [email protected] • Reduced chemical requirements.
Circle 155

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 11

 FROM THE FIELD NEW PRODUCTS

Multi-Refrigerant DSH Scroll Compressors

Danfoss DSH scroll compressors now support R454B and R452B refrigerants. The
compressors’ multi-refrigerant compatibility, along with similar drop-in perfor-
mance versus R410A, is designed to make refrigerant transition as easy as possible
for OEMs without the need to make radical system alterations. They include IDV tech-
nology to enable higher part-load efficiency. Available in 10 models from 7.5 to 40 TR
and a wide range of manifold options. Features operating maps to fit a wide range of
applications, both reversible and cooling only, including chillers and rooftop units.
Danfoss
www.airconditioning.danfoss.com

EM54 Environmental HVACR Meter

FLIR introduces the multipurpose EM54 environmental meter for HVACR measurements.
Based on hygrometer technology, it identifies deviations from ambient relative humidity
levels. It is ideal for inspecting ducting, electrical motors, thermal equipment and other
system components in residential, commercial and industrial facilities. Equipped with an
external vane anemometer for wide-range, high-resolution air velocity measurements, the
unit allows users to check air speed at duct inlets and outlets quickly and precisely. The me-
ter features an intuitive set of function keys, making it easy-to-use, and easy-to-read with a
backlit multi-function display, a MIN-MAX-AVG recording function, and a programmable auto
power off timer.
FLIR Systems
www.flir.com/em54

Nexus Modular Hybrid Cooler

Baltimore Aircoil Co. introduces the Nexus Modular Hybrid Cooler, an intelligent, plug-and-
play cooling system. The units are up to 8” shorter in height, have a 40 percent smaller
footprint and are 35 percent lighter than traditional fluid coolers. Modules are designed to
be moved with a pallet jack and fit in a freight elevator. All fans, pumps, accessories and
controls are factory-installed and -wired for true single-point wiring. The patent-pending
DiamondClear design uses 60 percent less spray water volume than traditional systems,
has turbulent spray water flow and the spray water basin can be inspected while in operation.
Baltimore Aircoil Co.
www.baltimoreaircoil.com

2020 Vectorworks BIM, Design Software

Vectorworks releases the 2020 version of Vectorworks Architect,
Landmark, Spotlight, Designer and Fundamentals, as well as 2020
versions of Vision and Braceworks. It extends the existing Data
Visualization feature to the design layer environment. This lets
customers change objects’ attributes using data parameters to
visualize data for error checking, work validation and quality con-
trol. Customers will experience optimized Open BIM capabilities,
increased workflow efficiency with the ability to directly edit fields
in a list browser, improved file performance and responsiveness of large and complex models, a new Schematic View workflow
to handle the complexity of modeling and documenting rigging workflows, and accurate geolocation of a project with the new
Geographic Information System toolset.
Vectorworks
www.vectorworks.net/2020

12 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

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Circle 156
FEATURE

Stunning new headquarters and training center showcase the manufacturer’s

elevated commitment to innovation, education, and style.
By JASON MCKINNON Mountains to the west of this Den- plays, the Colorado Seminar Center
Viega LLC ver suburb. And if that weren’t dis- is a far cry from the traditional, utili-

A
Broomfield CO tracting enough, the lobby contains tarian training centers where trades-
a video screen that runs up one wall, people crowded around instructors at
ttendees at Viega LLC’s across the ceiling and down the op- worktables under fluorescent lights.
new Colorado Seminar posite wall, like an upside down U. It opened in April and has been im-
Center in Broomfield Visitors stand under it and watch pressing visitors since with its blend
can be forgiven for be- looping videos, which include a wa- of beauty and tech innovation.
ing late to class. terfall of Viega fittings filling the legs “The word we hear most often from
Entering the classrooms requires of the U. first-time visitors is ‘wow’,” said Rob-
tearing themselves away from the With its glass walls, conference ert Boots, Executive Vice President
lobby’s stunning view of the Rocky center amenities and interactive dis- and Chief Operating Officer at Viega.

Based in Hudson NH, the author is director of technical services at Viega, and a former design engineer, product trainer, and train-
ing and technical support manager. He has a mechanical engineering technology degree from University of Massachusetts Lowell.

14 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

Opened in April, the dazzling new training center,
like the adjacent new headquarters, features
majestic mountain views framed by massive,
cross-laminated timber beams made in Germany.
 SEEING IS BELIEVING
AT THE WORLD’S
LARGEST HVACR
MARKETPLACE
FEB 3-5 • 2020

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FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME @ AHREXPO.COM † 1,800+ Exhibitors / 500,000 sq ft Show Floor
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Circle 157
FEATURE

The training center is built around a central hallway running off the lobby and lined with interactive exhibits more educational
than promotional.

The Colorado Seminar Center is paired with Viega’s new

headquarters building a few yards away. Like the center, it’s
visually stunning, which is not surprising, given that they
shared an architect and were built simultaneously.
Both buildings are unmistakably American West in
design and appearance. Rather than steel, they’re framed
with massive cross-laminated timber (CLT) beams man-
ufactured in Germany. The environmentally friendly
engineered wood products are as beautiful as they are
strong and, unlike as is the case with some wooden-
framed buildings, allow for an airy, spacious design.
“We wanted buildings that looked like Viega with a
clean aesthetic. We wanted it to fit in the local commu-
nity and to look like Colorado,” Boots said.
Of course, both buildings prominently feature Viega’s
technology. The company’s fittings are used in the fire
sprinkler and water supply systems. Radiant heating and
cooling keep the building comfortable while in-ground
snow melt systems keep the sidewalks free of ice and
snow during the Colorado winters. The restrooms feature
Viega in-wall fixture carriers and Visign flush plates.
In case visitors forget what Viega is famous for, the
exterior of the headquarters is designed to look like a pipe
fitting and a glass-lined atrium evokes the image of water In-ground snow melt systems keep the sidewalks free of ice and
flowing from the building to the adjacent Seminar Cen- snow between the two buildings.

18 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

HVACR HIRING & RECRUITING TIPS
It should come as no surprise to anyone in the
HVACR market that this industry is suffering
from a labor shortage.

Contractors are in dire need of field technicians.

Distributors are on the hunt for qualified
counter personnel. Manufacturers are looking
for machine operators and technicians. The list
goes on and on. So, the question is, “How do
you find, recruit, hire and hang on to the best
talent out there?”

The articles in this e-book offer some great

advice on how to address these key challenges.

DOWNLOAD THIS FREE EBOOK TODAY!

WWW.HPAC.COM/HVACHIRING Circle 158

FEATURE

ter. The integration of the buildings nation’s shortage of skilled trades- manufacturing industry and filling a
on a compact campus allows Viega to people. Across different industries gap in trades education.
seamlessly coordinate administration, and verticals, corporations, govern- Viega is not a newcomer to trades
commerce and training. ments, unions and public-private education. It opened its New Hamp-
It makes sense for a growing com- partnerships are investing in trades shire Seminar Center in Nashua in
pany like Viega to invest in a beau- education. This year alone: 2006 and remodeled the center in
tiful headquarters, but why spend • DENSO, a Japanese automotive 2017 to make it more interactive.
money making the Seminar Center a components manufacturer, opened Its popularity led to the decision to
showpiece, as well? a $1.95 million training center at its make the Colorado center even larger
“We want our customers and plant in Battle Creek, MI; with more hands-on space.
people who are visiting the Seminar • The Michigan Regional Council “Compared to other manufactur-
Center to really have a good under- of Carpenters and Millwrights cut er’s training centers I’ve been to, this
standing of the focus that Viega has the ribbon on a training center in takes it to a whole new level,” said
on quality of our products, our ser- Wayland; Bo DeAngelo, manager of techni-
vices and our people,” Boots said. • Pipefitters’ United Association cal training. “It takes all the techni-
“We want to make a statement with of Boston Local 537 opened a center calaspects and puts them in a real-
our seminar centers when you walk in Dorchester, MA; world context for users.”
in that you know you’re dealing with • With partial funding from global The center is built around a cen-
a company that focuses on quality.” manufacturer Dana, Inc., Owens tral hallway running off the lobby
Community College in Perrysburg, and lined with interactive exhibits
Investing in the Trades OH, broke ground on an advanced designed by a Chicago firm, Matrex.
While Viega’s seminar center sets manufacturing training center. The displays are more educational
a standard, it’s being joined by a host These new centers are a long over- than promotional, demonstrating the
of others being built to address the due step in securing the country’s capabilities of Viega products in a va-
riety of applications relevant to cus-
tomers. This is done via video, design
and touchscreens.
“We give them the real world facts
and it seems to work,” DeAngelo said.
In addition to the hallway Interac-
tive Learning Center, the 23,000-sq-
ft center includes four classrooms
and two large workshops for dem-
onstrating equipment and technol-
ogy and giving students the chance
to try it for themselves.
Innovation is in Viega’s corporate
DNA. Founded in Germany in 1899
as a manufacturer of brass beer taps,
it now specializes in pipe fittings,
PEX pipe, flushing technology and
radiant systems. Its products are pro-
duced at six international locations
and distributed worldwide.
Viega is responsible for bringing
press technology to North America,
a market it entered on the company’s
100th anniversary. The technology,
which is standard in Europe, is steadily
making inroads here as contractors re-
alize it’s faster and more economical
Combined, more than 36,000 linear feet of tubing was laid between the two buildings. than threading, welding and soldering.

20 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

 The seminar centers are part of
that campaign to educate contractors
and distributors about pressing and
other Viega applications.
“When you’re introducing a new
technology, you have an obligation to
your customers to make sure they’re
successful with it,” DeAngelo said.
“And it creates an element of loyalty
to the brand. The customers are going
to remember who helped them out.”
Throughout the year, the centers
host single and multi-day classes on
such topics as radiant system design,
hydronics, LoopCAD, industrial pip-
ing, commercial piping and pressing
technology for various materials.
The courses, which are kept af-
fordable by Viega, draw contractors,
distributors and industry represen-
tatives from across the country and
Canada. Despite being open only
since spring, the Broomfield center is
on track to host more than 3,000 stu- Some 3,000 students are expected to receive training at the new center this year.
dents this year. The Nashua facility
will welcome an even larger number. Additionally, a 55,000-sq-ft logis-
“The only place we have to go is tics expansion is in the works.
up. We haven’t even scratched the McPherson is where Viega pro-
surface of new curriculum develop- duces its PEX products, as well as se-
ment we can offer.” DeAngelo said. lect fittings. It’s also home to Viega’s
Until 2016, Viega’s U.S. headquar- master distribution center for North
ters was in McPherson, KS, north of America.
Wichita. The company wanted to The state-of-the-art distribution
open a second training center closer center incorporates the latest tech-
to the West Coast and chose the Mile nology and automation, as well as an
High City for central location and upgraded warehouse management
easy accessibility through Denver system that provides faster product
International Airport. The decision turnaround. With additional met-
to move the headquarters out there als products being manufactured
soon came after the announcement in McPherson, a larger distribution
of the center. center for both metals and PEX prod-
Viega still has extensive and grow- ucts was necessary.
ing operations in McPherson. This Viega has more than 700,000
summer, it completed a two-year square feet of manufacturing and
building program that included: warehouse space on its 127-acre
• A 90,000-sq-ft expansion of a Kansas campus. It employs 300 peo- The use of environmentally friendly
manufacturing plant, completed in ple there and expects to add more. engineered wood allowed for an airy,
Dec. 2017; The company has capacity to grow spacious design.
• A new 205,000-sq-ft manufac- in Broomfield, as well, with room
turing plant, completed in June; on its 11-acre campus for two more “We’re excited about what the fu-
• A new 25,000-sq-ft tool shop and buildings if continued growth dic- ture holds in Kansas and and Den-
apprentice building, completed in July. tates, Boots said. ver,” he added.

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 21

FEATURE

Data is The Key to All Things

Building Automation
Engineers today must consider all potential data streams needed to optimize operations
By JEFFERY MCCLAIN, CEM by the hardware, software and edge signs. They didn’t have to think about
Schneider Electric devices that feed into the system. peripheral systems. Their focus was on
Chicago IL Building automation systems, en- what they wanted to measure and con-
abled by the Internet of Things (IoT), trol and how many points of intersec-

T
he biggest trends to collect and report real-time equip- tion were needed to specify the system.
emerge in the area of ment performance data. This data, As data collection and management
building automation coupled with historic data and asset are more commonly cloud-based, the
all share one central re- specifications can be used to opti- data architecture has changed, and
quirement – data. Auto- mize equipment operations for better engineers must consider the poten-
mation systems that can collect large energy use, such as phasing HVAC tial data streams that could or should
amounts of data enable buildings to systems in and out. be included in the overall conceptual
do things they never could have done design. They have to include network
years ago. Engineered systems professionals and think about how IT
It used to be that as a manufac- for modern environments architectures and wireless technolo-
turer, hardware was a selling point, If you consider the way projects gies integrate into the building.
but more and more the hardware it- were designed 15+ years ago, quite a They must also consider the overall
self has become a commodity. Today, lot has changed. Engineers then were user experience, which is greatly ex-
the real selling point is our ability to including the controls layer in their panded and more interactive. Rather
utilize and manage the data produced HVAC systems in their mechanical de- than individual workstations and a

Based in Chicago, the author is Branch Operations Manager for Schneider Electric Digital Energy. He has more than 25 years
of experience in operations and facilities management with a focus on building automation, energy efficiency, and sustainable
building operation.

22 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

web-capable interface, they must en- The prevalence of analytic capabil- objectives such as occupant comfort
gineer systems that can interact with ity is what drives that. These systems or operating costs.
iOS and Android devices used by end will be able to self-analyze and com-
users to interact with the system. The pare manual inputs to the collected Emphasizing the
specifications they produce have to data. If a maintenance engineer is occupant experience
account for the intersection points changing set points or air volumes, In the next five years, we see the user
between various technologies. De- those data points are gathered over experience moving from the building
signers have to understand what their time. With ML, these systems have engineer and maintenance purview
customer needs from the system, not to the end user. Building automation
just the HVAC control. In the next five systems (BAS) and how they’re used
in a facility is changing rapidly. That’s
Machine learning on the years, we see the not to say the core capabilities of BAS
path to automated control user experience are going away. Building owners and
and maintenance managers still need these systems for
One emerging trend that is chang- moving from the engagement, management, control
ing how systems are designed and con- building engineer and of maintenance systems, and numer-
trolled is machine learning (ML). His- ous monitoring and reporting mecha-
torically, an engineer would design the
maintenance purview nisms. But, as emphasis shifts to the
equipment and specify how it would to the end user. user environment and making spaces
operate and define the sequence of more attractive to occupants, moving
operations. Controls providers would the ability to track those inputs and the actual user interface input to the
then design, program and configure recognize resulting trends and make edge to give users more control is a big
the function of the system, according changes accordingly. trend for the space.
to the specification. As machine learn- Some of that capability has been In keeping with the growing tele-
ing becomes more viable, there will available for energy management for commuting trend, more offices are
be less need to define how equipment some time. For instance, one could taking advantage of the “hot desking”
will operate. Rather, based on users’ program an air handler to analyze or hoteling model where employees
commands, the systems will have the itself, and with a number of prescrip- forego an assigned workspace and
ability to learn through analytics how, tive evaluations, identify how to instead choose an open desk to work
for example, an air handling system is optimize the control of mechanical from when they’re in the office. With
required to operate, and then essen- systems. That optimization can also modern BAS and IoT-enabled ap-
tially self-program. be user-adjusted based on specific plications, an employee can enter a

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 23

FEATURE

building and use a mobile app to re-

serve a workspace for the day. The
employee can use that same app to
adjust light levels and temperature
set points or book a meeting room.
Such technology allows people to
manage that space and the utilization
of that space to understand how it’s
being used. This ability is particularly
important in commercial real estate
to enable designers and building
managers to plan and manage office
space to optimize occupancy.

Smarter buildings are on trend

Given all the smart devices emerg-
ing and available today, and the capa-
bility of building automation systems
to gather and manage large amounts
of data, we can do things we never
thought of five years ago. Machine
learning and IoT data enable build-
ing owners and managers to employ
predictive maintenance strategies
and optimize the user environment,
creating more productive, efficient, Machine learning and IoT data enable building managers to employ predictive
smarter buildings. maintenance strategies.

In keeping with the growing telecommuting trend, more offices are taking advantage of the ‘hot desking’ or hoteling model.

24 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

FEATURE

Converting Generation Z
to Generation T (Trades)
As the talent crunch intensifies, firms are learning they will have to offer new
recruits much more than just a paycheck.

Our 2019 interns included (l to r) Kyaut Aim, Jack Britschge, Chavin DeSilva, Greg Hubscher, Paul Owens, and Brianne Gunn.

By SARAH MUELLER and STACEY HOLSINGER indicates that by 2020, 20% of the U.S workforce will be
Shapiro & Duncan, Inc. comprised of this generation.
Washington DC At Shapiro & Duncan, a third-generation family-
owned mechanical contractor serving customers in

G
en Z, population born in 1997 and later, has the Washington, D.C. area since 1976, we are making
started to enter the workforce! The oldest a concerted effort to stay relevant in our efforts to re-
members of this generation are 22 years cruit, hire, train and develop members of Gen Z. This
old, and many are starting the first jobs article will answer three key questions for construction
of their career. The U.S. Census Bureau hiring managers:

Sarah Mueller, SHRM-SCP, is Director of Human Resources at Shapiro & Duncan, and co-author Holsinger is Marketing
Manager. Based in Washington, the mechanical contracting firm employs more than 400 people and specializes in complex
commercial, government and institutional design-build projects.

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 25

FEATURE

Young people today want to care about the work they do and feel like they are contributing to the greater good.

1. Who is Gen Z? What do they fully engaged in their entry level po- ing with all of the other growing indus-
want out of a career? sition, internship or apprenticeship tries from major players to start-ups.
2. How are construction firms at- role. They crave to explore a world With such fierce competition be-
tracting, recruiting and developing outside their job description. That tween construction companies for the
talent in a modern and competitive means getting to know the entire com- most qualified applicants, candidates
market? pany, and their corporate values, mis- of all ages — not just Gen Z— are look-
3. What are some specific recruit- sion and vision. They want a greater ing for an immediate sense of gratifica-
ment strategies and tactics used? understanding of the organization tion in an employment opportunity.
and hope to gain experience by par- To keep them engaged, they require
Who They Are and What ticipating in networking, field visits, focused touch points beginning with
They Want Out of Work community work and social events. when they apply and continuing
Research suggests that Gen Z is through the hiring process.
hard working and ambitious: Recruiting, Hiring and In the current hyper-competitive
• 76% percent described them- Developing Today’s Talent construction job market, we have
selves as responsible for driving their For those of us involved in talent found that a best practice is to do a
own career. acquisition and development at Sha- thorough job of planning staffing
• While salary is important to piro & Duncan, the biggest difference needs. This enables you to anticipate
this group, it’s not what’s driving these days is not necessarily related needed skillsets and start attracting the
them to work hard: 74% rank pur- to Gen Z. It’s more about the fierce best people with outreach through so-
pose ahead of a paycheck. In other competition for human capital in cial media, career fairs and networking
words, these young people want to the construction industry due to the events in order to keep the recruitment
care about the work they do and feel well-documented shortage of talent pipeline as full as possible.
like they are contributing to the bet- in the skilled trades.
terment of the planet. Competition within our industry for Specific Recruitment
In our experience, inclusiveness in skilled trades people is at an all-time Strategies and Tactics
the company is critically important high and, additionally, with full em- Visiting Schools on Career Day
to Gen Z. They want and expect to be ployment nationwide we are compet- More than three-quarters of Gen Z

26 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

are still in secondary school. Partner-
ing with elementary, middle and high
schools on career days is critical. It
gives us the opportunity to interact
with the students on a 1-to-1 level
and to showcase educational options
other than college that can lead to
well-paying careers without the bur-
den of student loans.
These options may include in-
ternships with construction firms,
apprenticeships and community col-
lege certificate training programs in
the skilled trades.
Using Social Media as a tool to
Connect and Engage
Instagram and YouTube are key
for this generation. Utilizing Insta-
gram stories can help them make an
informed decision and give them a
glimpse of the day-to-day operations.
Creating YouTube videos to show
employees at work, jobsites in action,
behind-the-scenes tours, social ac-
tivities and community service can An emphasis on training is key to both attracting and engaging the next generation.
help educate this generation on what
our industry and your company can able to provide this type of consistent credits per year, two of them through
provide. It is also important to high- interaction, it might lead to a perma- in-house courses and one through an
light people their own age so they can nent position, or employee referral outside source such as apprentice-
see how they might play a significant based on reputation. ship or factory training. In addition,
role in the industry. Employee Development and Training employees are required to complete
Internships and Mentoring Since we place such a high priority mandatory safety training.
Internships and mentoring pro- on employee education, training and Apprentices do both in-house
grams at Shapiro & Duncan are development at Shapiro & Duncan, classroom training and on-the-job
structured to give a holistic experi- not just for Gen Z but for all employ- training. This time counts toward
ence within the company. They are ees, we have given our comprehen- their Shapiro & Duncan education
focused on connection and engage- sive learning management system a requirement.
ment to ultimately attract, hire or re- special name of its own. We call it
tain that employee. S&D YOUniversity. Key Takeaways
In order to fulfill the need for con- S&D YOUniversity has been evolv- Gen Z defines success in a career
nection and to solidify a sense of en- ing for more than 20 years. Today, when they get the flexibility they
gagement, our entry level employees we offer over 80 training courses need to support their lifestyle; they
are partnered with senior level employ- in-house, through external sources can contribute to the greater good;
ees to gain industry knowledge. It’s and online. Classes are conducted at have a great working relationship
important their go-to person is some- our main office in Rockville MD, at with their supervisors and their ques-
one they feel comfortable around, i.e. our 51,000-sq-ft fabrication shop in tions are answered.
an experienced employee who can nearby Landover MD, and online. In order to gain sustained com-
answer their “Why? And How Ques- All employees have access to S&D petitive advantage in today’s shal-
tions.” Very much like social media, YOUniversity training opportunities. low pool of qualified applicants, the
this generation wants constant feed- Participation, however, is not vol- firms that rank high in reputation,
back good or bad on their job perfor- untary. Employees are required to culture, benefits and social responsi-
mance, so they can improve. If you are complete three continuing education bility will prevail.

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 27

FEATURE

Reap Actionable Data

Analytics from Building Systems
with IoT Platforms
Commercial building operators are poised to take full advantage of installed systems
that now offer massive possibilities for data mining and improving performance.

Data-driven building management solutions (BMS) are revolutionizing facilities management for all building types.

By MICHAEL C. SKURLA ufacturers have focused on the core NEST thermostat (and EcoBee alike)
BitBox USA tenet that product improvements are and the growth of intelligent appli-
Nashville TN directly related to energy savings. ances and home automation trickled
This has overall been an excep- out of the high-end market and into

T
here’s been an upheaval tional tactic since meeting the new mainstream homes worldwide.
in the commercial build- energy codes and the “Green” senti- This drive, due for the most part
ing space over the last ment both have a positive impact on to the proliferation of smartphones
several years. Holistically OpEx. Starting in 2010, however, the and Wi-fi, and the “always-on”
all trades have chased ef- residential market shifted with the necessity, fundamentally changed
ficiency within their respective silos entry of IoT devices initially reserved user connectivity levels and the
for decades. From HVAC tied to BMS for more technologically advanced built world (in this case the home).
solutions, to lighting and water, man- users. Smart home tech such as the The once siloed technology, the

Based in Park Ridge IL, the author is Director of Product Strategy for BitBox USA, developer of a facility management platform
that collects, organizes and delivers distributed IoT data to allow remote monitoring and management of critical infrastructure.
Skurla has more than 20 years of in-depth experience in control automation and IoT product design.

28 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

purview of ‘specialists’ became thing. The phrase was liberally pep- able to communicate the temperature,
available to the consumer sector pered in marketing material from set-point, humidity, and metrics with
and revolutionized engagement PTACs to powder-coated paints. ease, and to a defined IT standard.
with building technology. The fact that devices had been com- This simply means something beyond
municating for quite some time, the BMS, or HVAC can access that
The IoT Myth made this liberal usage of this acro- data and utilize it for other purposes
Soon after these technologies were nym rightfully confusing. within other trades, or analytics.
introduced to the consumer sector, In- So, what is IoT? What are its prac- Compared to traditional siloed
ternet of Things (IoT) marketing hit tical potentials within the commer- building technology at the heart of
the press with a rabid force. For de- cial facilities space? the industry adoption premise, the
cades, the building trades had manu- IoT contract enables two major driv-
factured devices that communicated: Redefined by Analytics ing factors:
from thermostats, RTUs, to VAV con- Google the acronym “IoT” and • Business Intelligence through
trollers, to lighting systems. While all of you will find many definitions. personalization, and
these ‘talked’ and integrated into other One thing is clear: IoT is not a • Increased OpEx performance
devices, they only communicated their product, nor a standardized means to through synergies — in addition to
intended function. A thermostat could communicate. It is simply a contract the OpEx savings already established
‘talk’ to an RTU to turn on air condi- to communicate data. The IoT value through modern data equipment and
tioning, and to a BMS controller for is not in its device hardware, but the controls utilization.
facility monitoring. The limited extent ability to communicate beyond a spe-
of this communication offered only re- cific trade. Business Intelligence
stricted possibilities for data mining For instance, a thermostat is not an Through Personalization
from these devices and often lacked ac- IoT device. In fact, it may communi- Data analytics is a growing science
cess to the full breadth of available data. cate in a completely proprietary way. in the commercial building space
IoT was marketed as a be-all, However, the upstream controller driven by the IoT contract. Micro-
end-all solution to just about every- dealing with this thermostat should be service analytics is focused on the

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 29

FEATURE

ability to collect data from tradition- larger audience and be analyzed from While every facility can aggre-
ally disjointed sources, most notably the perspective of various stakeholders. gate data, the challenge is to utilize
building technologies, and convert This rapidly growing micro-ser- the data for far greater impacts than
them into actionable Business Intel- vice analytics marketplace uses or- merely preventative maintenance
ligence (BI) far beyond mere facility ganized data-lakes of IoT and facil- and facility efficiency.
management. ity data in different perspectives for
The technology placed in facilities various stakeholders. For instance, Increased OpEx Performance
for specific purposes — thermostats, data from motion sensors attached Through Synergies
air quality sensors, lighting motion to HVAC and lighting equipment is No doubt operational efficiency
sensors, even elevator activity logs used for marketing insights in retail cannot be overlooked. A typical
— has far greater potential outside of settings. Portfolio leasing can be ana- commercial building has no less
the specific functions for which it is lyzed via IWMS software solutions than seven communicating subsys-
installed. That potential can only be on that same data, and the list goes tems (often many more). Generally,
reaped if these devices can ‘talk’ to a on and on. each of these sub-systems has its

30 HPAC ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2019

software and analytics platforms
for monitoring and management,
as well as for managing its network
of devices.
This traditional setup not only re-
sults in a significant amount of du-
plication of effort (wiring, configura-
tion, and commissioning), but it also
requires staff to be versed in various
systems and software to ascertain
and comprehend the actionable data.
This hinders the ability to leverage
data between various existing sys-
tems throughout the facility.
Take for example that aforemen-
tioned thermostat providing infor-
mation on consistent operations of a
Roof Top Unit (RTU). Set to operate
at 74F, it would strive to maintain
this temperature at all cost. A BMS
system could easily determine that
the RTU was running constantly and
generate a truck roll to address the
issue. However, if it was also con-
nected to the security system, a truly Field service visits can be reduced by a BMS system that first analyzes the problem.
synergistic solution would under-
stand that the backdoor was open, within a building that is ascertainable management across hundreds and
and wouldn’t warrant a truck roll, from a different approach: thousands of portfolio locations on
but a phone call to ask staff to close 1. Collecting — A single appliance what was traditionally a costly task
the door. This saves both a truck roll is wired into each facility in a portfo- within legacy BMS frameworks.
expense, as well as energy, offering lio to collect everything it can find in By integrating IoT platforms, com-
an expedited resolution. building and IoT technologies, and mercial building operators are poised
funnel it, securely, to a cloud applica- to take full advantage of the installed
Data Collection and tion engine; systems in a vastly distinctive, and
Organization is the Key 2. Organizing — Within the cloud more affordable methodology than
The IoT ecosystem available in the data is organized and rationalized the legacy technologies. More impor-
the market today solves this age-old into concise datasets, eliminating tantly, IoT platforms eliminate the
dilemma of collective monitoring the disjointed and often confusing complexity of data aggregation and
without disrupting the efficiency of mix of data between brands of equip- open data-driven decision-making
individual subsystems, and the BMS ment, and facility locations globally; opportunities, crucial for any enter-
solutions currently integrated into the 3. Delivering — Offers a standard prise and its stakeholders.
individual building space. IoT Eco- consolidated Application Program- This wealth of possibilities, new
systems are not BMS frameworks. ming Interface (API) to allow easy services, and options for commercial
They are data collaboration technolo- third-party data mining from micro- buildings is as, if not more valuable
gies, born out of IT philosophies and service analytics providers to meet than how consumers have leveraged
processes laid on top of existing and the needs of varying stakeholders. connectivity intelligence from their
emerging building technology, allow- Given their IT-centric approach, home technologies.
ing the massive collection of building the current IoT ecosystems designed It’s time for next-gen smart deci-
data to be organized and delivered to for commercial buildings offer mas- sion-making for facilities’ operators
AI services for actionable analytics. sive scale and possibilities for data — with readily available and easily
They don’t solely focus on build- mining and actionable analytics. This interoperable IoT tools that can em-
ing technology, but on all the data scale allows for easy distribution and power existing systems.

OCTOBER 2019 HPAC ENGINEERING 31

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