Preparing Buildings for AI Starts with Better HVAC Controls
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Kevin Bradley, Controls and Engineering Team Lead at Boland
Do you use Google Maps, Waze, or another app to choose your route and estimate how long it will take to get somewhere? If so, you are already using AI (Artificial Intelligence) in everyday life. These tools analyze external data, such as traffic, accidents, and road conditions, and then recommend the best route in real time. The same basic concept can be applied to optimize an HVAC system.
For building owners and facility managers, AI can sound like a future technology that belongs in data centers or software companies. In reality, many buildings already have the pieces needed to benefit from AI: controls, sensors, occupancy patterns, utility data, and equipment schedules. The opportunity is to connect those pieces in a way that helps the building make better decisions.
What Does It Take To Get Your Facility Utilizing AI?
It is not as difficult as you might think. Even if you are not ready to implement AI, there are steps you can take to prepare your facility that will bring immediate benefits to your building operations.
Control Systems
If your current HVAC control system is 15 years old or older, it’s time to consider an upgrade. Utility rebates may cover some or all of the costs, and our clients have seen energy savings of up to 15%.
You may not have to replace your entire control system; you may only need to upgrade the System Controller. Current versions can connect to older control systems and send data securely to the Cloud.
Get Connected To The Cloud – Securely
Make sure whoever or whatever you use to connect to the Cloud has top-notch cybersecurity. SOC-II certification is one of many ways to verify that a connection is secure. Cybersecurity typically requires a monthly subscription and regular software updates, something owners may not be used to. We still see building specifications that go out to bid without mentioning cybersecurity. Every building owner should take online security seriously.
Choosing an AI Partner
When interviewing potential AI partners, ask questions that reveal how their solution will work in a real building, not just in a software demonstration.
How are they optimizing the building?
Can you override the AI changes if something is happening that you may not like? (Raising the setpoint in the CEO’s office may not be a good thing!)
What feedback/reports are given to show how well the AI is working?
What does ongoing support look like?
HVAC is not complicated in concept, but the building can have problems if an AI provider does not understand the basics. If an AI system shuts HVAC off completely and then tries to turn it back on only after the temperature begins to drift, it can take several hours to bring a building back to a comfortable temperature. Use a provider that understands how HVAC really works in buildings to avoid unhappy tenants.
If you are not ready for AI today, there are still actions that we recommend building owners take now, as AI needs data to make intelligent decisions. Start collecting data now, and your future AI implementation will hit the ground running.
Add humidity and CO2 sensors where you currently have temperature sensors. CO2 is one of the best indicators of occupancy and of how well your building is ventilated. There are many options that combine all these sensors into one device.
Add power meters to the larger HVAC equipment in your building. By measuring real energy use, you can turn operations from assumption-based to data-driven.
Add airflow-measuring stations to your outside air intakes and to some of the fans to improve visibility and control.
You do not have to jump into AI tomorrow, but you also do not want your building to be left behind. Start with the basics: update your controls, connect securely to the Cloud, and begin gathering the right data. When the time comes to implement AI, your facility will be ready, and you will be in a much better position to improve comfort, efficiency, and decision-making.
