Feb 10 2016
Campuses and commercial buildings can cut energy use from HVAC systems 20 to 40 percent with Optimum Energy’s new OptimumAIR™ module for the OptiCx™ optimization platform, which makes its official debut at the IDEA Campus Energy 2016 Conference.
OptimumAIR automatically adjusts airflow from direct digital control (DDC) variable air volume systems to use the least amount of fan power, chilled water and heating energy possible while meeting building temperature, humidity and airflow requirements.
Soft-launched last year, OptimumAIR is already proving its power in real-world operating conditions at nine Optimum Energy customer sites around the globe.
In contrast to conventional controllers, which maintain static temperatures and pressures or optimize based on “worst case” zones, OptimumAIR provides continuous system-level optimization. It works by using patented demand-based relational control algorithms to read the actual airflow required for building comfort and automatically regulating energy exchange across the chiller plant, boiler plant and air-handling unit (AHU) system in real time.
“Our first customers are seeing the OptiCx Platform with OptimumAIR make a substantial contribution to achieving campus and corporate sustainability goals,” said Ben Erpelding, Optimum Energy’s CTO. “OptimumAIR really amps up our customers’ ability to cut energy and water use dramatically, saving resources and money.”
The cloud-based OptiCx Platform seamlessly optimizes all aspects of enterprise-grade HVAC: chilled water plant, boiler plant and air-handling systems. Its modular approach allows customers to address one system at a time—within a building or across far-flung facilities—with the confidence that each new module will work with the others to amplify savings. (Other OptiCx modules include OptimumLOOP™, which optimizes centrifugal chilled water plants, and OptimumHEAT™ for boiler systems.)
The OptiCx Platform also provides advanced machine learning and diagnostic capabilities. With the Dynamic Sequencing option, the system learns how chillers perform in various operating conditions and equipment combinations, and then determines the most efficient chiller run order. The Chiller Diagnostics option pinpoints equipment problems and recommends solutions. The Predictive Free Cooling option taps real-time weather data to enable free cooling periods. And Real-Time Dynamic Commissioning™ detects performance issues and recommends fixes, enabling technicians to perform just-in-time maintenance remotely.