Energetica India 89 - May 2020

SMART CITIES Improving HVAC for Smart Buildings Considering the tropical nature of the country and the changing weather conditions, heating and cooling have become an important prerequisite for many modern buildings. Air conditioners and similar HVAC appliances are no longer considered a luxury and have become a mainstay in almost every urban home. Smart cities are transforming the way urban Indians live. Smart buildings are an integral component of smart cities and are built to improve the quality of life. Considering the tropical nature of the country and the changing weather con- ditions, heating and coolinghave be- come an important prerequisite for many modern buildings. Air conditioners and similar HVAC appliances are no longer considered a luxury and have become a mainstay in almost every urban home. Digitalization to define the next wave of HVAC applications The advent of Industry 4.0 technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) has in- troduced interesting new possibilities in the HVAC industry. These technologies can be used to integrate HVAC solutions in smart buildings in making them more agile and adaptable to dynamic changes. In a smart building, intelligent HVAC sys- tems will be able to detect and respond to changing weather conditions, demand variations based on time, occupancyand accordingly adjust temperature, inflow of water and other requisites. Impact of technology on HVAC sys - tems Typically, HVAC systems accounts for close to 40% of a building’s energy con- sumption. With the help of intelligent technologies and smart buildings, energy efficiency of HVAC systems can be opti - mized and all associated costs can also be minimized. • Sensors and data analysis: Smart sensors can collect data and provide actionable insights based on available information. Thermalor temperature sen- sors can be used to identify thecooling or heating load requirement in different zones of the building. The HVAC system can then be deployed to maintain consis- tency of temperature and ensure comfort of the residents in each zone. Pressure sensors can be further used to monitor airflow in these systems and predict the need for maintenance. Sensor technology is also beneficial in predicting potential areas of failure and preventing downtime. HVAC systems with sensors ensures optimal utilization of energy and thereby reducingthe associated cost. • Intelligent pumps: Pumps are integral to HVAC and contributes to the overall efficiency of the system. They are used to increase energy efficiency. The new era of intelligent pumps has leveraged digital technologies to aug- ment their existing performance to reach unprecedented levels. They are equipped with permanent magnet motor having integrated frequency converter and con- troller, that can adjust speed and flow based on its requirements. Pumps also use sensors to analyze elements such as flow, speed and pressure to optimize HVAC processes and function at maxi- mum efficiency. • Increasing focus on energy efficiency : In response to the growing energy crisis globally, governments have issued strin- gent efficiency norms while companies are innovating existing.To be able to achieve this, it is critical to pay attention to every component that goes into the HVAC system. Companies in this sector must work towards ensuring that each iteration of their product is more energy efficient than its previous model. Additionally, older HVAC models need to be phased out and replaced with in- telligent counterparts to further improve energy efficiency in smart buildings. • Automating HVAC processes in the future: As the world steps in to the future with HVAC systems, automated solutions are expected to lead the way. Smart buildings will need automated HVAC systems to reduce the need for manual intervention and subsequently increase the chances of human errors. Automa- tion will allow the system to dynamically adjust the temperature after receiving real time information such as demand. In the future, they are going to be featured as the ultimate comforts for residents in smart buildings. In order to stay applicable and meet the changing requirements of smart build- ings, HVAC companies must work on methods to democratize innovative solu- tions for large scale adoption. At the same time, adopt industry 4.0 technologies to strengthen these innovations. 32 energetica INDIA- May_2020 Gaurav Mathur Business Development (Building Services), Grundfos India