Every electrical and mechanical system requires some level of control and monitoring to ensure proper operation. Especially with today’s modern HVAC, mechanical and electrical designs, the desired goals of improved energy efficiency and occupant comfort are dependent on ensuring that entire systems, as well as individual pieces of equipment, are working together, properly, and continuously, in order to fully realize the design potential.

In the past, controlling and monitoring a facility’s infrastructure was a more manual and time-consuming endeavor, requiring engineers to physically make rounds to monitor building operations and centralized-control devices to utilize compressed air or high-voltage electricity to operate the equipment. Today’s remote-monitoring and digital-control technology enable a whole new approach to facility operations, wherein engineers can operate and monitor an entire building from their mobile devices. The transition from the old infrastructure to new technology, however, requires careful planning, and this is exactly where EVCO’s experience and expertise help building-facilities management succeed.

EVCOInsights For Automation

Upgrading a facility to a modern building-automation system (BAS) is not about installing new gadgets and devices or providing a fancy graphical user interface. It’s about making the best infrastructure investment to improve operations and performance. The success of this investment is attained through a combination of installation excellence, practical design, operator training, and remote support. BAS upgrades typically involve some level of simultaneous mechanical and electrical improvements – whether they include replacing old pneumatic valves and actuators, installing new dampers and variable-frequency drives, or bringing in whole new pump stations and new piping-sensor wells. EVCO’s multi-trade and life-cycle approach to project planning and execution make us an ideal partner for BAS upgrades.

EVCO utilizes is extensive expertise in mechanical and electrical systems to provide its EVCOInsights for BAS upgrades. We tap into our EVCOInsights approach to develop targeted BAS deployments that resolve the biggest pain points, integrate simultaneous mechanical and electrical improvements, ensure operator usability for the new BAS, and deliver continuous remote-support capabilities. From the ground up, EVCO designs BASs f that improve energy efficiency, occupant comfort, operator usability, technician servicing, and remote support. Every piece of hardware and software utilized to deploy the BAS is chosen with these goals in mind.

DELTA CONTROLS BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM

When EVCO first surveyed the field of available building-automation products to install with their mechanical and electrical projects, they sought a vendor that shared the same vision for supporting customers throughout the building lifecycle.. EVCO quickly found this in the Delta Controls. rom hardware design and software capabilities to technical support, Delta Controls offers a BAS solution that aligns with EVCO’s commitment to providing quality products and solutions to its customers.

EVCO installs Delta Controls products with the following key distinguishing features:

No “black box” controls that are inaccessible or “locked up” to the user

Every control panel includes an LCD touchscreen display with customizable menus and key-code access to allow local operators full control of their system, right where it matters most. Operators no longer need to run back and forth between the workstation and the control panel – all the control inputs and outputs can be monitored and even operated right there at the control panel.

Backup manual controls for emergencies

Every control panel includes manual-override switches for service technicians and operators to use in the event of an emergency. This means that operators and technicians always have a means of making sure the heating and cooling equipment at a building can operate.

100% non-proprietary

Delta Controls is a founding member of the ASHRAE committee on the BACnet Communications standard, the industry-standard communication protocol that allows interoperability of different products. Delta Control products are native BACnet devices which means that they adhere completely to this standard and can be integrated with other systems and accessed by other vendors. Other control companies even use Delta Control products to teach their technicians how to integrate with non-proprietary systems!

Best-in-class remote-access capabilities

The user interface for a Delta Controls BAS is 100% web-based and built using HTML5, which means that the same interface works on any modern browser (Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox) and on any device (iPhones, Android, workstations, and laptops). No JAVA upgrades are needed and there is no special software interface or device limitations. Delta’s web interface, enteliWEB, is equipped with mobile-skin dashboards for optimized viewing on mobile devices, as well as a complete energy-metering dashboard, automated reporting, 100% customizable-graphics interface, and full-programming capability. Delta has unleashed the BAS from the old single-user workstation and delivered a modern platform for operators to control their system from anywhere, any time.

Superior alerting and remote monitoring

Delta’s controllers and web interface, enteliWEB, support a wide range of alerting and monitoring features to support every situation. EVCO has deployed Delta Control systems with localized control panel printers for local alert history and read-out, all the way to automated call-center alerts with escalations to make sure that an operator is reached via phone call during an emergency. Whether you prefer text messages, emails, live phone calls, local print-outs, mobile=app messages, web dashboard alert pop-ups, or summary reports every morning, EVCO has deployed remote-monitoring and alert systems with Delta Controls that ensure critical information is delivered wherever it is needed.

Committed to continuous improvement and invested in development

Delta Controls has a commitment to continuously researching, developing, and delivering state-of-the-art controls products. Today, this commitment translates to an ever-increasing number of available mobile apps and widgets, as well as new hardware product lines that allow users and operators to more easily interact with the BAS. But, in the near future, Delta and EVCO will be able to offer even more exciting new possibilities with controls. Imagine an office environment where the mobile device in your pocket communicates your desired temperatures and light levels to the BAS, so that as you walk into a conference room, the local controls automatically adjust to your presence. Or a multi-family building where the BAS recognizes a pattern of boiler-sensor inputs and sends an email to the building engineer recommending the burner be cleaned, circumventing a potential flame failure in the future.