Faced with greater challenges than ever before, critical infrastructure begins integrating more tightly with data center resources
A generation of research and experience has proven that when properly maintained and operated, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVAC) can reduce the spread of viruses. These critical building systems not only provide thermal comfort but, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), may also improve resistance to infection.
Commissioning is important for ensuring that buildings operate efficiently and provide satisfactory occupant comfort and productivity. Unfortunately, commissioning building systems can be labor intensive, limiting how widely and often it is performed. This paper presents an automated commissioning tool for the testing of variable air volume (VAV) terminal units.
This paper provides a brief explanation of which analytic tools are included in the current release of WebCTRL®.
Making the Most of Your Building Automation System.
By Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D.
Former MicrosoftTM CEO Steve Ballmer once indicated that most software users only use about 20 percent of a program’s features. Tom discusses how his experience with building automation systems makes him side with the pessimists.
BACnet for a City.
By Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D.
This ASHRAETM Journal article discusses how the city of Orlando, Florida upgraded 26 buildings as part of a $1.75 million retrofit project.
BACnet to the Rescue
By Larry Bacher, LEED® AP
With advancements in the building controls industry, BACnet communication protocol is at the heart of the building automation systems. The following article appeared in ASHRAETM Journal's November 2010 BACnet® Today and reveals how BACnet affected the design of a state-of-the-art, 11-story office building in downtown Boise, Idaho.
Energy Efficiency and Comfort
Interview Conducted by Ken Sinclair
Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D., Director of Technical Information at Automated Logic Corporation, was interviewed by Ken Sinclair of AutomatedBuildings.com. Read the resulting article, which discusses energy efficiency and comfort with Automated Logic's Environmental Index™ tool.
What to Look for in a Building Automation System
By Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D.
This article appeared in the January 2008 issue of Buildings magazine. In it, Steve Tom, discusses how to get the best building automation system for your application, and what questions to ask up front.
Cost Effective HVAC, Managing Energy and Performance
By Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D.
The following paper was presented by Steve Tom, P.E., PhD, at the 2007 World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC).
Managing Energy and Comfort
By Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D.
In this article, Steve Tom, Automated Logic's Director of Technical Information, discusses the danger of focusing on energy efficiency without regard for occupant comfort. This was the cover story of ASHRAE Journal's June 2008 issue.
Specification Writing — A Productivity Tool
By Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D.
For most engineers, writing specifications is an agonizing “cut and paste” process. To simplify it, Automated Logic Corporation (ALC) created a new online productivity tool called “CtrlSpecBuilder®” (Control Spec Builder) based upon ASHRAE Guideline 13-2000, “Specifying Direct Digital Control Systems,” to help engineers write high-quality open specifications.
The ABCs of XML for BAS
By Steve Tom, P.E., Ph.D.
Using XML, a new IT standard for data exchange, the integration of building automation systems (BAS) is common across many different industries. XML, eXtensible Markup Language, is being adopted by throughout the world and provides a standard method for a BAS to communicate with another computer.