Building automation is one of the smartest and brightest additions to the world of building management. However, with any piece of technology, there’s bound to be obstacles and questions to work through. This is especially true for the HVAC service technicians who are actively working with or in the process of adopting HVAC automation controls.
Automation is great, but even the greatest tools have a learning curve. To help you hit the ground running, here are three simple tips for HVAC service technicians that will help them find solid footing in the ever-changing world of building automation.
1) Embrace Cloud Technology
If you’re working with automation technology of any kind, then the odds are pretty high that you’re going to be interacting with cloud technology in some way. The primary objective of HVAC automation is simplicity, but you can’t streamline an entire building’s interconnected systems without some outside help. Thus, the cloud.
With cloud technology, HVAC service technicians can remotely review and maintain a building’s HVAC systems from wherever they are. Each building’s data is stored in the cloud, safely protected behind internal firewalls, and can be easily accessed by anyone with the proper permissions.
Like Security Info watch says, cloud access management tools (like ODIN!) can “deliver real-time data to the cloud—a key requirement for enabling remote diagnostics and a more predictive approach to functions like system maintenance and risk mitigation.” This means that, by embracing cloud technology, HVAC service technicians can turn even the most complex scenarios into a simple case of sending the relevant, pre-organized data to the right person.
2) Find a BACnet-Certified Product
BACnet building controls rank among the most reliable and trusted tools in the automation industry. According to Optigo Networks, BACnet is “the most robust, widely adopted, standardized open protocol available.” With that in mind, you can see why BACnet-certified products are so valuable to HVAC service technicians. When software is BACnet-certified, it means it’s passed rigorous testing and has achieved a uniquely high degree of quality and conformance.
Building technicians have a lot of responsibilities to keep track of, which means they don’t have time to jump between multiple applications to solve a single problem. With a BACnet-certified HVAC control system, however, technicians and managers will be able to navigate between an unlimited number of locations, HVAC automation systems, and BAS’ from a single device.
3) Set Schedules, Track Trends, and Maintain the Status Quo
When it comes down to it, the primary job of HVAC technicians is to maintain the status quo. They’re tasked with maintaining a building’s general sense of temperature and comfort, which is no small thing, but when they’re doing it well, no one will even know the kind of magic that goes on behind the scenes.
This is why BACnet-certified software like ODIN exists. We know how crucial HVAC automation is to a building’s continued well-being, so we designed a program to help maintain that ever-elusive status quo.
With ODIN at your side, you can seamlessly set and manage schedules whenever you need to. Is a particular floor in the building suddenly expecting people when it was scheduled to be empty? No worries! Simply use ODIN to adjust the schedule accordingly, and you’ll be back on track.
The “Trends” feature helps with this as well, as it will give you a crystal-clear look into how smoothly the equipment in a building is working. For example, if there’s a discrepancy in a building’s internal temperature, then HVAC service technicians can easily (and remotely!) pin down the source of the issue and set up a new trend that will correct it.
Getting started with automation technology is exciting, but not without the potential for roadblocks. With the right tools and a solid knowledge base, however, HVAC service technicians can take their first steps into a larger world of simplicity and efficiency.
