Let’s resume our discussion tackling AFDD technologies with three more evaluating criteria, analysis methodology, fault proficiency, and implementation process. This framework, designed to help organizations make informed decisions, offers a practical guide to everyone considering building analytics today. We invite you to join our discussion, and please refer to this blog if you missed the first part.
“Which approaches would the AFDD tool use to detect and diagnose faults?”
The widely-accepted classification of Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) lists three distinct methodologies, quantitative model-based, qualitative model-based, and process history-based. While rule-based diagnostics belonging to the second group is the most common among AFDD providers, the advancement of newer FDD techniques belonging to the third group – process history-based – continue to proliferate within the smart buildings space. In particular, Machine Learning (ML), a subset of artificial intelligence, has been leading the way with its various learning algorithms and statistical models to explore data, detect anomalies and make predictions. A future blog will cover these and other concepts in more detail, so stay tuned.
Whether or not you are well-versed in FDD methodologies, make sure you inquire about how new analytics are being developed. For instance, find out how active is your AFDD service provider in leveraging the wider community of data scientists, researchers, and engineers focusing on the built space through ongoing collaborative efforts to advance technology with practical applications.
“What kinds of faults, applicable to which systems, and how would the AFDD tool communicate them?”
The AFDD survey mentioned earlier lists general fault types including sensor faults, scheduling issues, BAS configuration changes, equipment cycling, and control sequence overlaps, as well as system-specific fault types for heating, cooling, refrigeration, economizers, ventilation, lighting, and other specialty systems. Most AFDD tools available today are able to handle broad categories of faults for a variety of systems, but it’s important to determine that general fault types are indeed generic enough to require minimal configuration, while system-specific faults are flexible enough to handle the wide range of system types present in our buildings today.
Besides the types of faults and systems covered by the AFDD tool, it’s important to learn how those detected faults are presented and visualized. Given that systems, those interrelated physical entities, constitute the framework that facility personnel live and breathe, analytic results must be visualized in alignment with that contextual understanding.
Making sure the AFDD tool communicates actionable and comprehensive insights with appropriate prioritization and well-integrated with the system structures is essential during the evaluation process.
“How, and by whom, will the AFDD tool be configured?”
A solid implementation plan is arguably the most important piece connecting applied technology with successful outcomes. Since AFDD tools are applied to a variety of building verticals including, healthcare, education, retail, municipal and transportation, each with a variety of system types and available building data, implementation is often a mixed bag. It’s important however to understand the typical implementation process, the degree of customization available, and the tool’s ability to streamline this process, particularly vital when configuring large buildings or portfolios.
Reflecting on our experience implementing AFDD platforms in hundreds of buildings around the world, perhaps the most important factor hinges around the team that is assembled to undertake the whole implementation process. This team would often include facility operations experts, energy consultants, sustainability managers, and building application engineers.
When evaluating AFDD technologies, it is important to consider the human resources available through the service provider. From developing a well thought out implementation plan, assisting in the actual tool configuration, to offering valuable insights as your organization becomes more analytic-driven, well-established AFDD service providers are there to offer a comprehensive solution.
At CopperTree, we would be delighted to hear about your facility management challenges and your vision to improve occupant comfort, raise operational standards, and reduce energy consumption. Let us know how we can help meet your corporate goals.
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CopperTree Analytics
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