Smarter Systems, Smoother Operations: How Telemetry Transforms Building Automation
Authors: Ben VanderSluis, Director, Data Driven Solutions and Brett Colsch, Lead BA System Specialist
In facility management, the biggest problems are often ones you can’t see. Until they become costly failures.
Traditional maintenance methods often miss subtle signs of wear and inefficiency, leading to unexpected expenses and downtime for your building.
Telemetry transforms this scenario by continuously monitoring your facility’s vital systems, identifying existing and potential issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. More than just a monitoring tool, it empowers customers to take action themselves, reducing downtime, improving efficiency and saving time and money.
Telemetry Finds Hidden Problems
A typical building generates millions of data points every day. With the Telemetry platform, that data is collected from existing sensors on a building’s equipment to better diagnose malfunctions and faults and find potential opportunities for improvements, including energy savings.
A local county courthouse building in greater Minnesota implemented our Telemetry service and saw it pay off early on after implementation.
Telemetry detected a recurring airflow fault in the HVAC system that wasn’t visible during routine inspections. Using Telemetry’s advanced data access and visualization tools to dig deeper, we uncovered the culprit: multiple fire dampers had been closed for an extended period, disrupting air flow and reducing system efficiency.
Rather than observing the specific issue directly, we saw the consequences and paired it with our expert knowledge of this particular building, which led us directly to the solution. The issue began over the last couple of summers when it was discovered that fire dampers had actuators starting to fail. Gradually, they found more failed actuators, which resulted in temperature and ventilation issues.
Without Telemetry, this issue might have gone unnoticed until it caused significant discomfort or higher energy costs. Instead, the team at the courthouse was able to take swift action, restoring proper airflow and ensuring the building operates at peak efficiency.
People often focus on large, obvious failures in a building’s systems, but the reality is that a building’s operation is governed by thousands of components, many of which gradually deteriorate over time.
This slow wear and tear often goes unnoticed, with poor building performance simply being attributed to the building being “old.” However, maintaining a building involves more than just addressing the major, easily visible issues.
The more subtle, invisible components begin to fail over many years, and proactive maintenance aims to identify and address these smaller problems before they require extensive retro-commissioning efforts.
With the right tools and a proactive mindset, even “old” buildings can be held to a higher standard of comfort and performance.
Support for Entire Lifecycle
As a mechanical contractor, we don’t just build mechanical systems, we provide long-term solutions that optimize building performance throughout its entire life cycle.
The courthouse is a great example of this, as we demonstrated our commitment to the project extended far beyond installation.
For this project, Harris not only installed the control system but also secured a maintenance contract to ensure continued performance and implemented our Telemetry platform.
Telemetry provides real-time data insights that allow for proactive maintenance, performance optimization and energy efficiency improvements. Rather than waiting for issues to turn into complaints, we can use it to identify trends, detect anomalies and address potential failures before they impact operations.
This data-driven approach translates into lower operational costs, improved reliability and a longer lifespan for building systems.
The local government courthouse is just one example of how our holistic approach benefits our customers. By combining expert installation, ongoing maintenance and advanced monitoring with Telemetry, we’re able to create a seamless, full-life-cycle support system for any building.
Empowers the Customer to Take Control
Telemetry helps our customers prioritize maintenance work by offering insights into the building’s performance. Through monthly meetings, we guide them in interpreting the findings from the Telemetry system, helping them interpret the dashboard.
By reviewing the dashboard during these meetings, we were able to identify the fire damper issue that occurred during installation, which would not have otherwise been discovered until it became a major issue.
This collaboration empowers building managers to use Telemetry to address issues promptly, rather than waiting for problems to escalate.
The courthouse serves as a fully occupied correctional facility, which means that indoor air quality is not just a priority, it’s a critical factor in maintaining the health of both inmates and staff.
Our Telemetry system monitors the building 24/7, 365 days a year, ensuring proper ventilation, air filtration and climate control, which is essential for a fully occupied facility.
This proactive approach means if ventilation performance drops, we can take immediate action and schedule maintenance as needed. Telemetry often allows us to catch potential issues before they become noticeable.
This long-term partnership model not only protects our customers’ investments but also enhances overall building efficiency and occupant comfort.
Telemetry delivers long-term peace of mind and the ability to stay ahead of problems before they become costly. It’s a smart, proactive way to keep buildings running efficiently, and provides the insight needed to stay one step ahead.
Categories: Blog