Building Automation is Changing the HVAC Industry

Big Data & Energy Cost Management

In 2018, HVAC manufacturers not only reported sales growth, they expect that trend to continue this year. What that doesn’t tell you is how building automation is changing the game.

Modern building automation makes use of programmable logic controllers and computers to monitor big data and take control of a building’s energy use, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning, lighting, and other systems.

The goal is improved comfort for occupants, reduced energy consumption, reduced costs, and extended life-cycles for utilities.

Higher comfort.  Less life-time cost.  Those two factors alone make building automation an attractive investment for new construction and retrofit projects. Another attractive factor is preemptive maintenance.

In a “smart building” where automated controllers are reading temperatures, humidity, pressure, current flow, air flow, and other essential factors, trouble components and areas come to light more quickly and are repaired before higher costs or long-term damage occurs.

Building automation systems become more sophisticated every year, taking into account things like:

• Predictive energy use over time and energy consumption patterns.
• Understanding local weather patterns and forecasts.
• Learning priority energy needs in different areas of the building.
• Responding to the changing cooling and power needs of IT server rooms.
• Creating better work environments through airflow and air quality control, temperature and humidity control in manufacturing environments.

Want to work with an HVAC manufacturer who understands Building Automation Systems and delivers duct and services geared to today’s most modern applications? Call us at 878-295-8009, or visit our Contact Us page today.

Sensors and the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is contributing to building automation in a big way. Today, almost any device from any manufacturer can be integrated into the energy system of a smart building.

For example, a room controller can be used by the occupants to adjust temperature, lighting, and window shade settings, then when the room is unoccupied, the controller checks back with the central system for the proper low energy configuration.

Such controllers can adjust the environment in a room prior to scheduled meetings or vary heating and cooling settings based on historical data or real-time occupancy data.

Types of sensors available today include sensors for occupancy, temperature, humidity, pressure, current, dew point, and economizer sensors (used to control the amount of fresh air supplied to a space for cooling and to maintain acceptable C0₂ levels).

Many of these sensors are becoming wireless, taking advantage of secure wireless networking in a way which makes them easier to install and maintain, especially in retrofit situations.

The wealth of real-time data available to the controllers in a building automation system allow today’s BAS systems to observe day-to-day operation, make local and zone adjustments, and manage equipment to reduce unnecessary energy use.

The ability of systems to observe use patterns over time leads to adaptive learning.  Using adaptive learning, systems compare internal temperature, outside air conditions, and equipment capabilities so that the HVAC can be turned on in time to ensure occupancy comfort when needed.

Spiral Duct and Building Automation

When architects and designers look to building automation, they often choose spiral duct as the most effective and aesthetically pleasing choice for new construction.

The reasons are clear:

• Leakage rates in spiral and round duct can be reduced to less than 1%, superior to the most effectively sealed rectangular duct.
• Spiral duct saves fan energy, while allowing for higher air velocity with better acoustical performance.
• Spiral duct installation, including parts, labor, and ancillary costs can be up to 50% less expensive than rectangular duct.
• Spiral duct is cleaner and easier to clean, resulting in reduced chance of dust, mold, dirt, and other allergens being pulled into return air. Spiral ductwork is conducive to a safe, healthy, and productive workplace.

At The Cincinnatus Group, we are experts in spiral duct fabrication. Our capabilities include round spiral, double wall spiral, and flat oval spiral, while producing ductwork in a variety of specialty metals, such as:

• Galvanized G-60 and G-90
• Stainless Steel
• Aluminum
• PCD Polyvinyl Coated
• Galvanneal (paint grip)
• Available in gauges 16 through 26

We are an FBE/EDGE Certified manufacturer of ductwork and fittings for Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional HVAC construction projects. Founded in 1999 on a set of unbreakable core principles, TCG strives to provide top-quality fabrication, advice, and planning for our customers.

Contact TCG Duct at 878-295-8009, or visit our Contact Us page today.

Choose TCG Duct as Your Service Partner

When it comes to serving today’s high-end HVAC projects, TCG has positioned itself as a comprehensive service partner able to deliver the highest quality ductwork backed up by an array of cost and labor-saving services that put you ahead of the game and ahead of your competition.

We call our comprehensive, partnering approach The TCG Way.

• We help you eliminate field measuring and field layout, as well as optimize field labor.
• Precision Estimating. Our experienced teams use the latest software in ways that help you boost sales, decrease turnaround time on quotes, and streamline the entire sales process.
• Shop Drawings and Take Offs. We deliver up to 50% faster than traditional turnaround times, eliminating drafting errors and meeting SMACNA standards with ease.
• Coordination Drawings. Working with Building Information Modeling (BIM) data, we can precisely position ductwork in virtual models, eliminating conflict between the trades on-site and resulting in significant savings.
• Duct Fabrication. With 20-years’ experience on the cutting edge of the industry, our coil lines and plasma tables are among the most efficient in the business, giving you a pricing edge even over bending sheet metal in house.
• Proactive Delivery. Our premium service shrink-wraps and labels duct so that installation crews receive precision cut puzzle pieces they can hang and bang with ease. On large jobs, we can time delivery floor by floor or area by area, to avoid confusion as to which resources are used where.

Throughout the entire process we work to optimize the number of standard lengths of duct and minimize the number of joints and fittings.

We’ve seen automation and improved workflow processes deliver real cost savings between 30% and 35%. In an industry where labor is becoming scarcer and more valuable by the day.  Want to hear more, call us at 878-295-8009, or visit our Contact Us page today.

Duct Fabrication is TCG’s Business

At TCG Duct, we can provide all or part of your HVAC fabrication needs. Your project is priced from a Material List or via a take off from prints you provide. Our team of engineers, fabricators and technicians are trained on the latest equipment and methods that enable us to meet your exacting standards.

Let TCG Duct be your partner in the HVAC Industry as an experienced, high-quality manufacturer of HVAC duct of all types. Our goal is to partner with our customers in ways that make the entire workflow from order to installation a seamless exercise in time and cost savings.

The Cincinnatus Group supplies traditional Rectangular Ductwork as well as Spiral Ductwork, Double Wall Spiral Duct , PCD Ductwork, and Industrial Welded Ductwork.

Why Choose The Cincinnatus Group?

As your partner, The Cincinnatus Group helps your organization stand out in its marketplace, win more bids, save substantial costs, and build the knowledge and skills your team needs to continually meet new challenges effectively and profitably.

Our strong work ethic, accountability, and pursuit of excellence sets us apart from other contracted sales and marketing services, and our unique expertise and proprietary ductwork systems make us unique amongst our competitors.

At The Cincinnatus Group, our fabrication partners gain access to our unique experience and expertise in contracted sales and marketing.

Our assets help you navigate the ever-changing markets of the 21st century.

To learn more about our Contracted Sales services or other services we provide: Contracted Estimating and Take Offs, CAD/BIM/Coordination Drawings, and Project Management Assistance, please call The Cincinnatus Group at 878-295-8009, or visit our Contact Us page today. We are looking forward to the opportunity to help grow your business.