The 11th annual HVR Awards took place on Thursday 15 October and, while the established industry event was unable to go ahead in its traditional format, the live stream served as an incredible celebration of the very best products, businesses and initiatives from across the heating and ventilating sector.
To help facilitate remote HVAC management during the COVID-19 pandemic,Armstronghas announced that it will extend until the end of 2020 the offer of free subscriptions for its cloud-based service, Pump Manager.
“The original offer of three free monthsof Pump Manager service to new customers was scheduled to expire in August but we recognize that there is still a need to maintain social distancing wherever possible,” said Tunji Asiwaju, Global Performance Management Services with Armstrong. “Pump Manager helps buildings operate at peak efficiency without the need for onsite monitoring.”
Located in downtown Toronto, the Delta hotel on Lower Simcoe Street, near the waterfront, is one of the largest and most luxurious in Canada. Sustainability is an important part of operations for the entire Delta organization, and the Delta is rated as one of the top sustainable hotels in Canada. But the hotel managers also maintain a careful focus on customer satisfaction and comfort and that has a direct effect on the HVAC system, as temperatures in the guest rooms and meeting spaces are maintained within a narrow band.
DESIGN CONDITIONS: “Proper pump operation at design conditions should be verified against the manufacturer’s published curve,” said Ben Needham, field applications engineer, Taco Comfort Solutions.
The argument can be made thatpumpsdon’t fail, they just function less efficiently. If the bearings are completely seized and refuse to turn, then the failure argument is valid — otherwise, the pump keeps on pumping in most cases. Poor design, like operating too far to the left or right on the pump curve, can cause problems, and misapplications can bring about premature failure, but the pump still pumps.
Designed to do their job without wavering, hydronic pumps do require maintenance to optimize their performance — even the maintenance-free ones. According to Ben Needham, field applications engineer, Taco Comfort Solutions, there are two general types of pump maintenance to consider as a technician — mechanical maintenance and pump assessment.
Armstrong’s Design Envelope technology is an innovation that enables cost savings and energy savings in HVAC systems.
Armstrong Fluid Technology has been selected to receive the TEA award for the Connectivity - Building Services and Facilities category. For several decades, Armstrong Fluid Technology has provided cost-effective solutions that elevate the fluid-flow manufacturing industry to a new level across the globe. Armstrong maintains seven manufacturing facilities located on four continents, and the company currently employs more than a thousand people worldwide.
Armstrong has released two new COMPASS R high efficiency models with ECM motor technology for up to 80% energy savings. Featuring an air-cooled ECM motor and advanced Design Envelope variable speed technology, the new COMPASS R20-35 and R40-45 circulators can replace many competing models with bolt-for-bolt connection capability, the company noted. The new COMPASS R models cover a wide performance range and are energy efficient upgrades for two and three-piece and wet rotor circulators.
Newer buildings tend to be designed to be ‘green’, but what about older existing buildings, which still represent the largest share of environmental impact? There is more work to be done in the retrofit sector; and improving environmental performance of older buildings often involves ‘deep retrofits’ that are costly and impact multiple factors inside a building.
In the COVID-19 era, there is also growing concern about needs such as circulating outside air, increasing humidity, and improving filtration systems even as older buildings seek to become greener. The consistent theme is a need to work toward better-designed, more energy efficient and healthier buildings.
As remote monitoring seems poised to gain popularity, the time is right for this data-rich technology
The growing use of digital twins as a key strategy in manufacturing and systems optimization has left many designers, installers, operators and building owners wondering about the technology and what benefits it might have for the modern built environment, and specifically HVAC systems.
The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the HVAC industry is being felt by all of us in the HVAC industry. The current challenges and threats have been well documented and, unfortunately, will continue to evolve over the coming days, weeks and months.
However, as with many tragic events, there can be positive changes that come from this tragedy. One of these positive changes will be the more rapid development and deployment of smart HVAC systems and remote asset management solutions.