Brief: I want to set up a smart air conditioner.
Air conditioning units are becoming ever more common in commercial buildings, such as offices. Their primary function is, of course, to keep the building cool during the hotter months (or weeks in the UK). However, usually, these air conditioners are stand-along systems – which are often controlled through a panel on the wall or remote control. If they’re needed they have to be manually be switched on and then switched off again. Essentially they’re not very smart. In this Use Case, we’ll show you how to tie your air conditioner into a wider, holistic system – giving you a smart air conditioner.
Solution: Using Loxone to create a smart air conditioner.
With Loxone, there’s a variety of ways to integrate a range of different air conditioners. In our example, the air conditioner is being addressed via RTU. However, you could also use our IR Controller Air to control the air conditioner through infrared. Regardless of what method of communication is used, it’s important to read the manufacture of the air conditioner’s recommendations.
The “Intelligent Room Controller” Function Block is not only for controlling heating as it also has dedicated cooling outputs. Again, depending on the air conditioner being used, this can be done in a variety of ways. In this Use Case, we can specify a target temperature for the air conditioner. This is done through the AQt output.
Hardware:
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Why you and your customer should consider implementing a smart air conditioner?
By commissioning a smart air conditioner – which works as a piece of a wider, wholesale solution – you make the building far more efficient. Both heating and cooling can be set from directly in the Loxone App – no more competing systems. This is a great feature as, now, regardless of the desired temperature, it can simply be set within the Loxone App.
Also, schedules can be set up and the building can be placed into pre-defined modes – such as Comfort Temperature, Economy Temperature, or Frost & Overheat Protection. Increasing the building’s energy-efficiency.