Facility management in office buildings

Facility management in office buildings is a more and more relevant topic. The HVAC system types in office buildings are usually somewhat similar to those in other applications. The cost model and ROI for office properties, though, is significantly shorter.

So, clients working on office building projects usually require sustainable system features to reduce overall energy consumption.

HVAC systems monitoring and optimization

Office buildings usually require both heating and cooling simultaneously, multiple times per year. Then, there might be cases when a specific side of the building perimeter might require cooling, while the rest of the perimeter spaces require heating. Designing HVAC systems for office buildings in an energy-efficient way is definitely one of the challenges of this application. Making facility management more effective, then, is another challenge. Because being able to monitor and optimize HVAC systems’ operations is key when it comes to responding both to the comfort and efficiency demands of this building type.

Automated features, and proper remote system monitoring and control tools are a great help facility managers can significantly benefit from. So, it is important for this application to design HVAC systems using equipment that offer such features and can perfectly communicate with monitoring systems.

Being able to monitor and control the HVAC system through a BMS (Building Management System), remotely, with appropriately controlled access, can be a huge benefit to owners or facility managers. This not only allows to optimize operations and increase efficiency over time, but also allows building managers to deal with tenants’ issues quickly and instruct the technical support personnel to resolve potential problems.

HVAC systems integration with BMS

So, using monitoring and control systems is important, but it is also important that the equipment in the HVAC system design guarantees a perfect integration with the BMS.

The integration of chillers and AHUs with a BMS is possible thanks to the use of standard communication protocols in the sector. BACNet, for instance, which is probably the most common and Daikin products use natively, and the Modbus protocol.

As far as the optimal level of integration between BMS and HVAC components, it really depends on facility management. The HVAC system, though, should always have some level of autonomy, especially when it comes to sequencing and staging. So, the BMS should perform the two main activities:

• reading the main operative information (status, temperature and energy consumption)
• changing setpoints

What if there is no BMS available

An alternative monitoring platform should be necessarily considered. In this case, Daikin remote monitoring platform DoS (Daikin on Site), would allow to gather information with a unique level of detail. Also, it would allow facility managers to take preventive actions and avoid extra costs associated with breakdowns and downtime.

Find here a video on DoS features.

Daikin on Site as an alternative to BMS

Daikin on Site provides 24/7 real time data, all year round. It tracks units and components behaviour, and monitors their correct functionality. It also allows to create periodical reports for an in-depth analysis of the system performance, proving itself essential in chillers and air handling units’ plants management.

Also, Daikin on Site allows facilities to move away from on-site maintenance staff for day-to-day operational needs. And it can allow multi-site building operators to centralize facility monitoring and control, helping trouble-shooting technical issues from a distance.

Daikin Intelligent Chiller Manager

As far as system controls for chillers, then, Daikin offers its factory-engineered system control technology iCM (Intelligent Chiller Manager). It is specifically designed to optimize the performance of groups of chillers, allowing them to reach their goal with minimum effort, both mechanically and in terms of energy consumption. All this ensure chillers’ durability and efficiency, generating operating and maintenance cost savings and an immediate ROI. Daikin iCM can also connect to Daikin monitoring platform Daikin on Site, for remote monitoring, and can integrate with all BMS using BACnet and Modbus communication protocols, ensuring a perfect building management integration.

Daikin iCM is integrated in the control logic of Daikin units, so doesn’t need further installations. That means there is no additional cost related to wiring, and there is the possibility to install software functionalities remotely, even years after the commissioning.

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