Energy management systems, sometimes called
building management systems or energy management and control
systems, have evolved from simple switch-based controls to
computerized control and monitoring systems that:
| • |
reduce energy
consumption and operating costs |
| • |
provide intelligent control
over and management of lighting, heating, cooling and
ventilation, and, increasingly, building security and
fire/smoke detection |
Demand
for energy management systems is driven by the many benefits
they provide:
| • |
they help
offset the rising demand for and cost of energy through
energy conservation |
| • |
they give building
operators greater control over building climate (heating,
air conditioning,
ventilation and lighting) leading to improved worker
satisfaction |
| • |
they enable building operators
to troubleshoot HVAC systems |
First
among business case factors, however, is energy conservation
and the payback energy conservation affords
building operators.
Initially, energy
management systems were highly proprietary, linked to the
HVAC systems with which
they were operationally coupled. However, market demand for
higher levels of functional control and competitive pricing
have driven energy management systems
of today to open systems architecture and platforms, and
hardware interoperability.
The Timber II system
is an integrated Microsoft Windows program
suite that provides monitoring and control
functions
for a facility's lighting and HVAC equipment.
These monitoring and control functions provide information
about the condition and status of the facility and via this
information automatically control devices to reduce energy
usage.
Monitoring and control functions are communicated to the physical equipment
through field interface hardware and I/O subsystem software. The Timber II
system supports multiple hardware types and I/O subsystems, allowing for a
broad mix of new and old equipment for the user.
This arrangement allows for systematic replacement of obsolete
field interface hardware instead of being forced to completely
replace all existing equipment.
We invite you to review our Energy Management
System case study, listed upper right, and would welcome
the opportunity
to work with you to define your requirements, provide a
proposal for achieving your objectives, and then put our
expertise
to work for you.
Please Contact
Us with your questions or requests. |
|
Recognizing the
Company's software engineering skills and resources,
and its experience engineering and integrating factory
automation system solutions
positioned Applied Sciences Group to enter the building controls market space
and effectively compete on the basis of excellence in systems engineering
and integration, the Company acquired the intellectual property of Towne
Applied Engineering, developer of the Timber software product, in 1999.
Applied Sciences Group found the
Timber product attractive because it was powerful in
terms of its control and scheduling functions, and
innovative in that architecturally it enabled the Company
to work with virtually all third party controllers. |
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