Saturday, September 26, 2020

Assignment 2: Sensor Tech for HVAC - Draft 1 (Summary & Reader Response)

In the article "The Expanding Role of Sensor in "Smart' HVAC Systems" Manz (2018), expresses the need for sensors in buildings as it will "reap significant energy savings". He explained that by connecting all the various systems in the building, especially the HVAC system, will create an integrated and innovative monitoring software that observes the energy consumption of the building. Manz mentioned that over the years building owners neglected energy savings until the 1970s and 2000s when there was an increase in oil prices making "power conservation is essential". Another aspect of the need for sensor technology is the advancement of technology. Replacing the analogue sensor with a small-scale digital unit reduces installation time and "eliminate the need for recalibration". With the points explained in the article, Manz could have elaborated on the overall cost of the sensors.

Firstly, tenants may not be willing to spend additional costs for upgrades. According to the U.S Department of Energy, the "split-incentive" refers to the accumulation costs and energy-efficient advantages to various bodies based on the responsibilities for capital improvements and other bills, such as utilities. An example of the "split-incentive", a building owner would like to replace the fluorescent lights to a LED motion sensor light that will cost $20 000 in total. Some tenants are willing to accept this proposal as it will reduce their utility cost but some tenants may refuse. It may be due to their lease period is shorter than the breakeven savings cost which could be 10 years later. With the implementation of these "smart" systems, there would be an increase in their rentals. 

 

References: 

U.S Department of Energy (2016, April) Energy Efficiency in Separate Tenant Spaces - A Feasibility Study https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/asset/document/DOE%20-%20Energy%20Efficiency%20in%20Separate%20Tenant%20Spaces_0.pdf

 

Therma (n. d.) https://www.therma.com/pros-vs-cons-of-implementing-iot-programs-in-your-facility/

2 comments:

  1. Dear Atiqah,

    It is great to read your summary. Here are some of my thoughts that may be beneficial in your draft.

    First, your summarised article is very concise and clear. For the punctuation wise, in your first sentence, I think that you can add a comma after "The Expanding Role of Sensor in 'Smart' HVAC System" and remove the comma after "Manz (2018)". In another sentence, "when there was an increase in oil prices making 'power conservation is essential'", I would suggest to include a comma after "oil prices".

    I hope my suggestions will be useful. Please forgive me if I have mentioned something wrongly. Thank you.

    Best regards,
    Kei Man

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Kei Man,

    Thank you for highlighting the areas of my assignment to improve on.

    Regards
    Atiqah

    ReplyDelete

Assignment: Critical Reflection

The moment I found out that I would be taking an effective communication class for my first trimester, I dreaded the idea and hoped to defer...