Larger commercial buildings do not run on one thermostat. Different rooms need different amounts of air at different times, and the owner wants to see and adjust the whole system from one place. Heat Wave, Inc. installs variable air volume systems and the BACnet controls that tie them together, in commercial buildings across North Carolina and Virginia.
Variable air volume (VAV)
In a VAV system one air handler or rooftop unit supplies several zones. Each zone has a VAV box with a damper that opens and closes to deliver only the air that zone needs. A conference room full of people gets more cooling; an empty office gets less. The result is better comfort and less energy spent moving air nobody needs. We install the VAV boxes, the ductwork to and from them and the room sensors.
BACnet controls
BACnet is the open communication standard most commercial HVAC equipment uses to share information. With BACnet, the rooftop units, VAV boxes, exhaust fans and other equipment report temperatures, alarms and run status to one building automation system, and the owner can change schedules and set points from a single screen. We install the controllers and sensors and set the equipment up to communicate on the building's network.
New buildings and existing ones
On new construction the controls are part of the mechanical scope from the start. In existing buildings we can replace old VAV boxes, add zones when a floor is re-planned, and connect new rooftop units to the controls already in place, so an upgrade does not mean starting over.
Set-up that holds
Controls are only useful if they are set up correctly. After installation we check each zone, confirm the dampers and sensors respond, and make sure schedules and set points match how the building is actually used. Electrical power to the equipment is done by the project's electrician.