Drives & Controls March 2022

38 n BUILDING SERVICES March 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com Keeping a remote eye on HVAC installations H eating, ventilation and air- conditioning (HVAC) systems play a vital role in the operation of commercial and industrial buildings. They ensure comfortable temperatures and good air quality for occupants, as well as appropriate climate control for merchandise. But how do you know if your HVAC system is operating normally and whether it is running optimally to save energy and money? Remote monitoring systems that allow facility managers to visualise the status of their HVAC equipment and environmental parameters can help to prevent potential system failures as well as improving operating efficiencies. HVAC equipment is usually controlled by a building management system (BMS) or building automation system (BAS). The mechanical system is where the physical operations – such as cooling, pumping and ventilation – take place. The electrical system involves equipment such as control panels, generators, transformers and UPSs. Along with fans, chillers, pumps, boilers, generators and heat pumps, all of these critical sub-systems need to be monitored to detect any abnormal behaviour and alert building operators when they need to perform proactive maintenance. Connectivity is the first step in developing remote monitoring capabilities for HVAC systems. To make the installation and operation as easy as possible, you need to consider the following issues. Interoperability The aim of a connectivity installations is to make remote field information available to building operators. The monitoring devices chosen must be able to retrieve data from HVAC equipment and sensors that communicate via protocols such as Modbus TCP or BACnet/IP. For equipment that does not have a communications interface, hard-wired sensors may be needed to capture data about the equipment and environmental conditions. Environmental monitoring applications often require sensors to measure variable such as airflow, temperature, humidity, CO 2 density and water pressure. Power consumption and vibration levels are also often measured in the field. Advanced sensors often come with networking interfaces that can connect directly to a communications backbone. If such sensors are not available, remote I/O might be needed. Configuration and troubleshooting Depending on the size of the project, an HVAC systemmight require a large number of monitoring devices. The larger the application, the more installation and configuration effort is required. Wiring needs to be considered when planning a monitoring network. Architectures such as cascaded Ethernet can help to simplify installations. Configuring monitoring devices one-by-one can be painstakingly slow if you don’t have suitable user-friendly tools. Routine maintenance tasks such as configuration backups or device firmware upgrades are often time-consuming and cumbersome if performed manually. Therefore, when choosing connectivity systems to monitor HVAC installations, you need to consider systems that come with easy-to-use configuration tools and troubleshooting utilities that can help you to pinpoint the cause of any communications problems. Cybersecurity Although enabling remote connectivity for your HVAC system allows you to benefit from access to real-time information, it also exposes you to cybersecurity risks. Always make sure the equipment you choose comes with built- in security features such as password protection, secure network protocols, and data-logging of events. Besides security at the device level, you will also need protection the system level using firewalls and regular vulnerability scans to minimise the risks. n Advances in communications are allowing building owners and operators to keep a closer eye on their HVAC installations from remote locations. Moxa, the network infrastructure specialist, offers advice on how to implement such remote monitoring installations. Modern communications technologies are allowing building operators to keep a close eye on their HVAC systems from remote locations. Image: Moxa