Take our advice.

Building operators make all of the decisions regarding the control of their buildings. With ENSURE^TM Predictive Control Advisor, we aim to provide those building operators with an automated crystal ball that envisions the future health of their rechargeable thermal battery, the GHX. Armed with such knowledge, they can optimize their battery in ways that have never been possible before.

Whereas the ENSURE^TM Predictive Monitor keeps an eye on the real loads and informs users of potential future system degradation, the Predictive Control Advisor actually provides real-time feedback in the form of an API call to our server or a MODBUS or 4-20 mA signal physically located directly on our local server. Since we observe the loads continously in real time, we can compare recent loads to those that we would expect for an optimal system. We use this difference to generate a variable output signal. Based on the magnitude and direction of the signal, building operators may opt to change their control settings for the best possible system performance.

Ensure^TMPredictive Control Advisor System

For example, let's say we notice that the current monthly or quarterly heating loads are in excess of the original design, and that the average inlet temperature is also below where we'd expect. In this case, we would present a signal, accessible by the BAS, that simply informs them that they should reduce their dependence on the thermal battery for heating. In response, the building operators may choose to shift some of that heating load to a backup discretionary loads system (such as a solar water heater). If we notice that those heating loads are reduced and the ground recovers, our output signal magnitude will drop, allowing them to return to normal operation. If instead the building continues to stress the GHX, the magnitude of our signal would grow accordingly, letting them know that they need to shunt even more of the heating load away to alternate systems in order to avoid GHX inefficiency and degradation. Conversely, if the heating loads are higher than expected but the average inlet fluid temperature is lower, our algorithm may predict that a higher-than-expected heating load is permissable, and in some cases even desireable for better long-term thermal peformance.

ENSURE^TM Predictive Control Advisor provides access to:

•   hourly profiles of fluid temperatures to and from the GHX
•   hourly profiles of flow rates to and from the GHX
•   hourly energy loads (Btu or kWh) to and from the GHX
•   a continuously updated status assessment of the GHX
•   predictions of the future performance of the GHX
•   alerts if design settings are exceeded
•   alerts if anything looks out-of-the ordinary in the future
•   provides a reference signal related to GHX health
•   quarterly performance reports
•   annual performance reports

Although the system operation doesn't really require our input, building operators may elect to use the information we provide to assist them with their operational tasks. That's when information becomes a truly valuable commodity.