BMS

If you want to understand what a BMS facilitator wants out of an air conditioning system, the best way is to ask them. That’s exactly what the Temperzone South Australia office did when they spoke to Richard Cooper and Mark Wood from Air Con Serve, who are one of the premium BMS facilitators in South Australia.

Air Con Serve Engineer, Mark Wood opened up with the following comment,

“Our organisation was so impressed with the controllability of Temperzone equipment, that our new Adelaide Offices are being conditioned by a Temperzone Inverter and a Temperzone Digital split ducted using MODBUS comms to control it. I don’t think there is a better endorsement than if we are prepared to use it ourselves!”

One of the big challenges to a BMS system is to manage temperature fluctuations in DX systems. Variations in temperature of ± 3 C° either side of desired setpoint can be very noticeable for occupants and this can lead to complaints that the air conditioning is not providing optimum levels of comfort. These kinds of large temperature variations have historically been more noticeable with DX Systems as opposed to Chilled Water. Typically, these fluctuations are caused by the BMS system only being allowed to access basic air conditioning controls. Temperzone ECO and ECO Ultra equipment is now providing the level of control you would expect from a chilled water system.

Temperzone allows third party controls to have direct access to its compressors and supply air fans. This then allows a BMS facilitator to program specific parameters within their system to control the Temperzone compressor capacity and supply air fan speed which can result in room temperature variants of down to ± 0.5 C°. While this is happening the Temperzone Electronic Expansion Valve is maintaining a specific superheat to achieve the best efficiency. Added to this is the Hi Level Interface (Modbus) Communications. By running a 2 core shielded data cable, daisy chained to each unit and back to the BMS, the BMS facilitator can program the Temperzone air conditioning system using up to 40 different points provided in the Temperzone UC PCB. The BMS can control compressor, compressor capacity, Fan Speed (infinitely variable) and read pressures and temperatures, faults and fault history just to name a few. No need for an expensive Gateway.

Air Con Serve indicated that a lot of the DX Air Conditioning systems they were responsible for controlling, did not allow them enough access to compressor and supply air fan controls, to maintain an acceptable temperature, by today’s expectations BMS facilitators are seen to be directly responsible, by their clients, for the comfort levels in a conditioned space. When they cannot achieve the required comfort levels, due to the lack of controllability of the equipment , the client looks to them for solutions that they cannot always provide due to control limitations.

In projects where Temperzone units have been installed and then controlled by Air Con Serves BMS, the number of temperature variation related complaints has become virtually non-existent.

Temperzone’s ECO and ECO Ultra ranges of air conditioning systems are designed to maximise control and efficiency by combining Digital Scroll Compressors or Inverter Scroll Compressors, EC Supply Air Fans, Electronic Expansion Valves with UC7 and UC8 control boards with built in BMS connectivity. This unique combination of flexibility, connectivity and control provide the ideal platform for a BMS system to perform at its best.

Mark Wood summed this up by saying,

“Whenever we get the opportunity to control the latest generation Temperzone equipment, we find that end result for our clients is far more positive, due to the exceptional level of control we can achieve.”

Air Con Serve have indicated that the following list of benefits is typical when combining Temperzone equipment with their BMS systems.

• Reduced commissioning time and cost
• Greatly reduced callouts for temperature complaints which saves money
• Far greater control of leaving air temperature which assists in preventing cold air dumping and hot air stratification.
• Improved human comfort levels – Improved productivity by staff
• The ability to use Temperzone systems in close control environments like Laboratories, cleanrooms etc. Previously it was very difficult to achieve the design conditions without the use of Chilled water systems.
• Very quick reaction time to control large variances in loads within the conditioned space
• The level of control you would expect from a chilled water system
• Reduced installation costs depending on the application

These benefits have a direct outcome for the various other parties involved in the mechanical project. The installing Contractor has a great experience as they do not get call backs for temperature related issues. The Consulting Engineer is able to reap the benefits of their design as they are seen to have provided a solution for their client. If the end user is satisfied with the outcome then you can consider it a successful project.

The most important benefit of a well controlled air conditioning system may actually be the productivity of the people inhabiting the air conditioned space.

Air Con Serve Managing Director Richard Cooper added the following comment:

“A lot of businesses look at capital outlay for Air Conditioning as their main priority. At Air Con Serve we believe that, even though capital outlay is a big consideration, productivity by staff in the conditioned space is the key component. If the air conditioning plant is able to achieve and maintain its optimum comfort level, then the productivity of the staff increases. Increased productivity can result in a far quicker payback on capital outlay as opposed to skimping money on the installation!! Temperzone’s new generation equipment allows Air Con Serve to achieve these comfort requirements!”

Temperzone ECO and ECO Ultra equipment is designed to provide the superior flexibility, connectivity and controllability to meet the demands of modern BMS systems. For more information please contact your local Temperzone Branch.

Air Con Serve is an Adelaide based BMS Facilitator. Air Con Serve was established in 1978 and has been exclusively involved in the Building Automation controls industry specialising in innovative energy efficiency solutions.