| How can the pneumatically controlled building | | | | product is a major leap forward with |
| advance with the times to be more sustainable | | | | advancements such as: |
| without a disruptive and costly overhaul? | | | | - Continuous branch-line pressure |
| The Answer: By converting a building with working | | | | monitoring |
| but outdated pneumatic control system to a | | | | - Leak detection and status |
| Direct Digital Control (DDC), using wireless | | | | notification |
| technology. Wireless pneumatic Direct Digital | | | | - Leak compensating operation |
| Control (DDC) provides rapid payback and minimal | | | | Wireless Helps |
| disruption to gain ongoing energy and maintenance | | | | Wireless mesh network solutions are gaining |
| cost savings, while improving comfort and | | | | acceptance as a reliable, practical and highly |
| operations. | | | | affordable means to retrofit existing buildings for |
| | | | | monitoring, control and energy management. |
| Companies are always seeking ways to reduce | | | | Several important capabilities are enabled by |
| costs and gain better economic advantages. A | | | | retrofitting buildings whether electric or pneumatic |
| large number of buildings with pneumatic control | | | | with wireless technology. |
| infrastructure are falling behind in energy | | | | - Remote wireless set point control |
| management as digital systems and networks | | | | - Programmable temperature |
| become more common and critical. Their | | | | setbacks |
| operating expenses and asset valuations are | | | | - No wiring or cable installation |
| severely impacted as energy and maintenance | | | | Wireless lends itself particularly well for retrofit of |
| costs rise and more value is attributed to energy | | | | pneumatic buildings because no power or network |
| efficiency and sustainability. | | | | cables are present at the thermostat. Recently |
| | | | | innovators and early adopters have stepped up to |
| The conventional wisdom is that full conversion | | | | demonstrate in pneumatic buildings that significant |
| from pneumatics to DDC is the only path. | | | | energy efficient benefits can be achieved using |
| Clearly DDC enables better control and | | | | wireless thermostats and sensors. Primarily |
| optimization, but in most cases the existing | | | | these wireless devices focus on lowering the cost |
| pneumatic systems themselves are still functioning | | | | of retrofitting over conversion to DDC and the |
| properly. DDC provides the flexibility over | | | | benefits of connectivity and visibility. One |
| pneumatics that buildings need to operate | | | | demonstrated that such a retrofit can be |
| intelligently (e.g. simple zone level control, | | | | achieved with an install rate of less than 20 |
| scheduled setbacks, system coordination and load | | | | minutes, with the total install cost being a third of |
| shedding). But the conversion path is too | | | | a wired solution. |
| expensive and disruptive to existing tenants to be | | | | |
| followed by most building owners. Their focus on | | | | Paybacks of 2, or even less than one year are |
| financial performance and limited capital make it | | | | certainly attractive, but is wireless communications |
| nearly impossible to entertain the five to ten year | | | | added to fundamentally antiquated controls |
| payback estimated for such a conversion. One | | | | enough? |
| public schools official described a 15 year plan to | | | | |
| replace the pneumatic controls in its 30 school | | | | Advantages of Wireless and DDC Combined |
| buildings. | | | | Millennial Net's wireless pneumatic DDC combines |
| | | | | wireless communications, local processing, local and |
| The ideal solution would be a middle ground where | | | | remote sensing, and closed/open loop controls. |
| the existing pneumatic system could be utilized | | | | DDC and Wireless combine to reduce the time |
| with a DDC system, like a digital pneumatic | | | | and cost of installation, operation and |
| version of a thermostat, but without having to | | | | maintenance. Investment payback (typically 1-2 |
| install network wiring. | | | | years) and sustainable energy efficiency are |
| Wireless Pneumatic DDC Thermostat | | | | important reasons for this comprehensive control |
| Wireless Pneumatic DDC Thermostat Wi-Stat IIIp | | | | capability. |
| Developing the recently released Wi-Stat IIIp | | | | DDC helps better deliver occupant comfort while |
| wireless pneumatic DDC thermostat, Millennial Net | | | | optimizing energy consumption and cost. This is |
| has completely rethought how to address the | | | | important when seeking utility energy efficiency |
| challenges of pneumatically controlled buildings. It | | | | programs offering incentives and performance |
| sought to cost-effectively combine the best | | | | contracts that need assurances that expected |
| proven technologies, not just add a wireless radio | | | | energy reductions are enforced. Load |
| to the old-style mechanical pneumatic | | | | management and automated demand response |
| thermostat. Unlike conventional bi-metal | | | | are also driven by policies. For example, the |
| pneumatic (mechanical) thermostats, the Wi-Stat | | | | Millennial Net system implements such programs |
| IIIp is a solid state technology, operating without | | | | through a number of user-defined energy policies |
| mechanical parts. It does not utilize the | | | | that are managed through the internet and |
| maintenance-intensive control mechanisms of the | | | | distributed to each site and communicated |
| pneumatic thermostat that is to be replaced. | | | | wirelessly to each control device. |
| The solid state technology improves control | | | | Important DDC features/capabilities to look for |
| quality and responsiveness. Routine maintenance | | | | include: |
| and recalibration are eliminated. Time and cost of | | | | - Modulation of pneumatic branch line pressure, |
| installation are reduced as there are no wires, no | | | | acting on multiple inputs to accurately and |
| adjustment screws and no need for calibration. | | | | responsively control zone temperature |
| The wireless network forms itself and data | | | | - Detection of pneumatic leaks (supply and |
| communications enable remote monitoring, | | | | branch) |
| adjustment and trending to ensure long term | | | | - Compensation of leak employing various |
| performance. Devices are immediately accessible | | | | strategies depending on severity |
| bi-directionally via the internet and easily integrated | | | | - Restriction to avoid simultaneous reheat and |
| with other automation systems. | | | | cooling |
| Like Millennial Net's first wireless pneumatic | | | | - Remote adjustment of control parameters (e.g. |
| thermostat, introduced in 2008, the Wi-Stat IIIp is | | | | gain, proportional…) to refine controls based on |
| part of an extensive family of interoperating | | | | performance trend data |
| wireless controllers, sensors, meters and | | | | - No adjustment screws, so need for calibration |
| supervisory systems which utilize the IEEE | | | | to reduce the cost of maintenance is eliminated |
| 802.15.4 standard and 2.4 GHz radio band. The | | | | - Software configuration (e.g. |