It is a known fact that the HVAC system represents the most consuming asset from a building, and with current pandemic situation, system integrators are looking for new cost-effective strategies to control them, always keeping the user comfort to the maximum. Zoning systems, commonly used in Oceania, are gaining popularity in Europe and Intesis plays a key role in the communication between the zoning controllers and the HVAC system itself.
There are several government initiatives around the world to incentive the users to install control systems in their homes or offices, reducing the total energy consumption and carbon print. Some examples are “The Green Deal” in the UK or “PREE” in Spain, and the users always gets some benefits in reduction of the electricity bill or adding comfort to their lives.
The voice assistants and the home automation systems plays an important role for the user, but recently we have noticed that system integrators are looking for alternatives, more professional but still cost-effective, to provide the user with the control of the temperature in separated areas, according to different setpoints, even if one single HVAC unit is available.
That is how the zoning systems works, usually made up of three control elements: the individual thermostats located on each one of the rooms, the air flow duct dampers that open and shut to allow the flow of air to circulate to each zone, and a main controller where all the logic is processed.
There are several zoning manufacturers with experience on the market that provides their own proprietary system with all its elements, but the concept has been replicated in installations using standard protocols like Modbus, BACnet or KNX. For example, our partner Ivoryegg has developed an alternative using KNX generic 240v blind controller to control the damper motors of each zone, and performing the logic from KNX, where an Intesis gateway plays an important role by offering all the variables from the HVAC system and making the system work at the maximum efficiency.
Its popularity is increasing, and the benefits are available for everyone, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that zoning systems can save the users up to 30 percent on a typical heating and cooling bill, comparing with a single centralized thermostat. Those conventional systems do not provide real comfort, since the ideal temperature of each room is independent of the others depending on its geographical orientation and the occupancy.
Take advantage of the surplus capacity in the installed HVAC system to reach the comfort level requested by your customers without compromising the budget nor installing a secondary system, just add zoning management.