At Andivi, we also develop HVAC analytics platforms that turn buildings into smart energy-saving hubs. HVAC analytics is on the brink of a new era. In the last 10 years, affordable hardware and high broadband speed have enabled any building to save significant amounts of energy with analytics tied to the HVAC systems installed in their building.
The only differentiator? You have guessed it! Software.
What is HVAC analytics?
At Andivi, we believe that HVAC Analytics needs to consider comfort, energy efficiency and performance of HVAC equipment and other systems inside of buildings. This takes into account: past system data, past system analytics, weather information, weather prediction and system diagnostics among others.
The scope of future-oriented HVAC Analytics Software
HVAC analytics software can help gain the necessary overview for HVAC systems installed in the building. It can gain the necessary transparency that is needed for better understanding of how all core-building devices and systems operate.
The holy grail of any analytics platform is to gather data that enables significant insights. Significant insights will enable better decision making and justify the strategic direction of energy saving. Into a standard HVAC analytics platform, Andivi assures to integrate:
- Dashboards and Visualizations of various HVAC devices (AHU, chiller, boiler, etc. …),
- Performance Tracking of various HVAC devices (AHU, chiller, boiler …)
- Data collection, data trending and analysis,
- Notifications, Faults & Early Alerts,
- Public insights.
HVAC analytics platforms start with data collection, but the value they bring goes well beyond basic data aggregation. Most frequently, we
- Historical data that enables easy comparison and understanding of trends in various periods of time and with various variables (e.g. compare inside temperature, outside temperature, humidity, weather forecast …)
- Analyze data and discover opportunities for savings, without a data overload that would cause analysis paralysis.
- Early detection of anomalies can allow you to mitigate risk and avoid malfunctioning or HVAC units,
- Take confident action means the data you receive is relevant and can lead you to systematic improvements of root causes and not only temporary symptom treatments.
- Understand the HVAC system in a building – how it works in practice, what working conditions are optimal and which operational parameters can be improved,
- Balance the HVAC system as a whole and not as separate devices,
- Discover energy saving opportunities, that compound over time into significant savings of operating cost and significant amounts of CO2 reduction,
- Reduce maintenance cost of HVAC equipment,
- Prolong the lifetime of all systems.
What is the value HVAC analytics? Energy saving and understanding of the building as a whole. Furthermore, proper analytics can also easily prevent various devastating scenarios by live monitoring the current parameters of AHUs, boilers, chillers, heat exchangers, sensors, etc.
Data visualisation beyond HVAC Analytics
Data visualization and representation is key for a better understanding of the information displayed. Easy to use Cloud platforms that support real-time visualization and process data, record operating data, and monitor conditions are therefore standard at Andivi.
The Andivi WebServer platform can also be used for data visualization beyond HVAC analytics. Since the user interface (UI) is easily adaptable, it can serve for any commercial or industrial application for any kind of graphic data and metrics representation: charts, graphs, numerical stats, device graphics, etc.
The most common applications:
- Building Management,
- Building Automation,
- Cloud HMI (Human-machine interface),
- Energy Management,
- Energy Monitoring,
- Remote monitoring,
- IIoT – industrial internet of Things,
- Intelligent network and Grid monitoring,
- Failure analysis,
- Industry 4.0,
Why is data visualization so important? “Turning data into a visualization can really change the viewer’s perspective. It’s almost like translating the text into another language”, said Martin Oberhauser in a creative talk called “The art of making information beautiful”.
If we manage to visualize data in a clear and easily understandable way, then the impact of this understanding will lead to action more often than if the insights are “hidden” inside of visualization.
What we can do? Custom development HVAC Analytics!
Andivi is a reliable partner for the development of custom HVAC analytics dashboard according to client specifications. One such example is VIA – Building Management & Energy Management Visualisation which has been developed by Andivi.
Andivi is a reliable partner to work on your HVAC analytics, since we have a deep understanding of key communication protocols and can integrate any device running on Modbus, BACnet, Codesys, KNX …
Custom analytics for AHU units and beyond
Andivi has helped major HVAC companies and AHU manufacturers like Menerga and Systemair to create HVAC analytics that provides valuable insights for products on the manufacturers’ side.
Furthermore, Andivi can assist with your building data visualizations needs as well as various other analytics services. We operate all around the EU and most of our work is done remotely in connection with a local partner “on-site” of the building.
Reliable sensors are key for reliable analytics
The underlying necessity for relevant HVAC analytics, like Energy Management and Energy Monitoring, are reliable and precise sensors. Smart algorithms that help buildings improve their energy consumption can only provide value if the collected data is 100% accurate.
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link” – and if the sensors are unreliable than machine learning and AI cannot help a building make the necessary savings. Therefore: temperature sensors, humidity sensors, CO2 or VOC sensors are as important as the back-end software crunching the data.
How COVID-19 made ventilation and HVAC analytics relevant?
In part, accurate ventilation HVAC analytics has been boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spanish daily newspaper El Pais has presented an interesting analysis on how the coronavirus is spread through the air.
The key takeaways from this article are all in favor of accurate indoor ventilation:
- A room with no ventilation: If 6 people spend 4 hours together talking loudly, without wearing a face mask five will become infected – irrespective of whether safe distances are maintained.
- Transmissions by aerosols: Without ventilation, aerosols remain suspended in the air and become increasingly dense as time passes. Hence, the inhalation of invisible infectious particles exhaled by an infected person is a tremendous risk.
- Ventilating spaces in-between usage: Let’s take the example of a school, if the room is ventilated during, either with fresh air or mechanically, and the class is stopped after an hour in order to completely refresh the air, the risk drops dramatically.
HVAC analytics can easily prevent those scenarios by live monitoring the current parameters of AHUs (Air Handling units).
Maintenance personnel can be made aware of errors before they grow into problems, by early reporting of faults and direct notifications and alerts.
On top of that, a smart HVAC Analytics platform can enable insight for energy savings and identify areas for potential savings and lower operational costs.
HVAC for AHU units and beyond
Andivi has helped major HVAC companies and AHU manufacturers like Menerga and Systemair to create HVAC analytics that provides valuable insights for products on the manufacturers’ side.
Furthermore, Andivi can assist with your building data visualization needs as well as various other HVAC analytics services. We operate all around EU and most of our work is done remotely in connection with a local partner “on-site” of the building.
Please do not hesitate to contact us.