Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) are major concerns for most organisations when it comes to operations. Whatever business you’re in – from manufacturing to office-based services – these constituents can be the ‘life’ of a building. They can have an indirect effect on production, if your workers depend on comfortable working conditions. And they can have a direct effect if you depend, for instance, on product storage (e.g. refrigerated produce).
There’s another equally important cost too. HVAC/R systems are often integrated with other equipment across the business, and so equipment failures can have serious knock-on effects. Repairs can be expensive.
It’s not all gloomy though. Modern HVAC/R systems have developed to cater for potential problems on the horizon. Control and monitoring systems allow equipment to be tested over the months, meaning that operations managers can keep an eye on the performance of their equipment. Businesses can be in a position where they don’t have to wait for failures to happen before they call in the workmen. They actually put themselves in a position of prevention rather than cure – smart troubleshooting allows issues to be solved even before they start, nevermind grow out of control.
The reality is that HVAC/R equipment is built with mechanical and electrical components. These two types of component work together, and if the electrical ones (controls) are working well and are set correctly, the mechanical elements (equipment) work to optimal levels. These HVAC/R controls and monitoring systems are becoming more user-friendly, and so the good news is that most people can work with them having just received a low level of training. Easy-to-use interfaces are constantly making procedures simpler, and technology like GPRS means performance can be monitored remotely outside the office or over the Internet.
It’s true that these kind of capabilities used to be expensive. But, with new technology and lowering costs, installing controls and monitoring equipment has become a valid and saleable business case for most building operations managers. Of course, predicting problems before they occur is one side to this business case. But, keeping an eye on equipment is also vital in improving their efficiencies. By improving operations here, you can slash the price of energy bills. Infact, the government organisation The Carbon Trust estimates that a 20% saving in energy usage has the equivalent effect on a business as a 5% rise in sales. What better way to notice the benefits.
Chris Gunn is Marketng Manager at Next Controls, specialising in Control Monitoring & Management Systems delivering both local and remote building control and monitoring solutions for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) installations.
http://www.nextcontrols.com
