Automated Diagnostics—The Future is Here

W. Mark Arney, P.E., Facility Dynamics Engineering

With the advent of cheap storage media, fast Internet access, and the widespread use of direct digital control systems, it is now possible to implement true automated diagnostics on typical commercial and institutional buildings. The output of the diagnostic applications is extremely useful for building operators and managers to track and optimize the performance of their buildings. Because laboratory buildings are typically high energy users, the diagnostic tools will usually have very quick paybacks.

These tools can be applied during initial system commissioning, but are most useful as long-term, permanent commissioning tools. In laboratory applications, they can be useful as compliance tools. They have many useful applications to LEED® projects, especially to the M&V credit. This presentation will discuss the application of these tools to specific building systems and will discuss the type of data that is usually collected for the analysis process. Results for a few typical projects will be presented.

Biography:

W. Mark Arney, P.E., is a senior engineer at Facility Dynamics Engineering. He has over 25 years of experience in the design and operation of buildings. He is responsible for project management, energy analysis, commissioning, measurement and verification, and system diagnostics.

Representative projects include retrocommissioning for a number of large federal buildings; energy audits for the U.S. Enivronmental Protection Agency; M&V and auditing for various energy service companies; the baselining and analysis of ECMs for a variety of federal buildings; a retrocommissioning pilot program for a large west coast utility; and the development of technical content for a Web site on building controls.

Mr. Arney holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Master of Science in building energy engineering, both from the University of Colorado. He has published a number of technical papers and has spoken at national conferences on the topics of building diagnostics, measurement and verification, and commissioning. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Colorado and is a certified energy manager.

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