ENERGY EFFECIENCY CHALLENGES IN BUILDINGS
Building automation can help monitor and optimize building performance. As the complexity in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems increases, the probability of design and operating errors increases as well. That leads to avoidable costs and unnecessary CO2 emissions.
Although building automation systems provide most of the data needed to identify operating deficiencies, the amount of data can be overwhelming. An effective analysis requires specific software and hardware, as well as the right technical expertise.
TECHNICAL MONITORING FROM TÜV SÜD GLOBAL RISK CONSULTANTS
TÜV SÜD’s proprietary Data Box can be easily connected to the Building Management System. It collects information continuously from sensors, actuators, and operating states – up to 20,000 data points. The Data Box supports multiple communication protocols such as BACnet, Modbus, M-BUS and KNX.
The data collected is securely transmitted to our platform and evaluated by TÜV SÜD experts. The results are visualized live in a performance dashboard where present states and performance changes can be monitored. TÜV SÜD experts can help you make sense of the data and help optimize your current operations.
BENEFITS TO YOUR BUSINESS
Building owners and operators gain detailed knowledge about their building automation system’s performance against target specifications. Technical optimization will result in:
- Energy savings
- Higher user satisfaction
- Reduced operating costs
- Reduced maintenance costs
- Reduced CO2 emissions
TÜV SÜD Technical Monitoring supports acceptance during the commissioning phase and performance optimization during the operating and maintenance phases. The data also supports warranty claims that can help you to save money on repairs. Unpredictable costs are often caused by wrong planning, improper implementation, or incorrect operation.
Frequently ASked Questions
To help you understand more about the importance of technical monitoring for buildings, we invite you to review the following frequently asked questions (FAQ). We hope it will help you make strategic decisions about the health of your facilities going forward.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
What is Technical Monitoring?
Technical monitoring is the testing of technical parameters in building equipment through a continuous target/actual comparison to expose malfunctions and energy inefficiency.
Which malfunctions does TÜV SÜD detect with Technical Monitoring?
There are a wide variety of malfunctions detected but some examples include:
- Fans that are in operation when the ventilation system is switched off
- Simultaneous cooling and heating of rooms
- Supply pumps that are in operation without demand
- Refrigeration machines that constantly go "on" and "off" due to incorrect parameterization
Why should my business implement Technical Monitoring?
The results of the Technical Monitoring show which components of the HVAC, water, or electric systems are not functioning properly and/or are not optimally coordinated with each other. This enables you to immediately recognize where action is needed to reduce energy, operating and maintenance costs, and prevent avoidable CO2 emissions.
When can technical monitoring be used?
For all buildings with a building automation system that controls and regulates supply systems such as heating, ventilation, cooling, etc. Optimally, an open and standardized communication protocol is used.
What basis is used for target specifications for Technical Monitoring?
Functional descriptions, operating instructions, requirement specifications, etc. serve as a basis. In the case of incomplete documentation, our experts check according to the generally recognized rules of technology.
What is the difference between an existing Building Management System (BMS) and technical monitoring?
Current values such as temperature, valve positions, operating states, etc. are displayed in the building management system. Technical Monitoring evaluates these values in the form of coherent rules and shows how well they correspond to the target specifications.
What is the project process and how long does the Technical Monitoring take?
Clients typically will receive access to the dashboard within two weeks. We recommend Technical Monitoring for at least 12 months in order to assess the influences of the seasons on the building or on the supply systems.
Case Study
Customer: Manufacturer
Building size: 130,000 square feet
HVAC: 9 utilities
Technical monitoring results: 40 identified deviations
Costs incurred: $12,000 (one-off)
Savings: $19,000 per year
Return of Investment: 7 months
Get Started
Take the next step and optimize building performance.
