The worldwide Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) market continues to grow at steady rate. According to a 2006 report from the ARC Advisory Group, the HVAC control system market alone was forecast to grow from $10.6M in 2006 to $12.8M in 2011.

Building owners and operators are focusing on the long-term lifecycle costs of owning and operating existing buildings, which is one of the largest expenses facing companies today. Enterprise integration is bringing transparency to this process, enabling strategic and efficient management of existing building assets. HVAC suppliers have contributed to new solutions that feature more efficient hardware, integrated control systems and management services.

A growing concern about the financial and environmental implications of energy consumption is one of key factors to growth in the worldwide HVAC control market.

Green Initiatives Facilitating Energy Efficiency
There is increasing local and national legislation in many countries to address energy usage in buildings. For example, the US Energy Policy Act of 2005 offers financial incentives in which owners earn tax reductions for buildings that are at least 50% percent more efficient than mandated according to certain ASHARE standards.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. LEED certification serves as an environmental sustainability and energy usage benchmark.

Energy Management solutions can analyze an Enterprises' energy portfolio and place certain buildings in particular energy-saving mode based on real time energy usage data and real time energy rates. The GridWise initiative in the United States is an example of how intelligent HVAC system can communicate with utilities to monitor and optimize the amount of energy demanded, and the timing of the demand. Companies can take advantage of cheaper electricity by avoiding expensive peak usage periods with methods such as demand response and peak shaving. Likewise, maintenance operation also benefit greatly from enterprise systems, because integration provide enterprise system with access to critical building parameters at the corporate level. This, in turn, allow facilities manager to base strategic decisions on real time asset condition monitoring and provide quantifiable evidence to their manager to justify necessary maintenance activity.

Advantech's BA Systems with Web-enabled Technology
Advantech offers complete web-enabled BA (Building Automation) solution product, including BAS-3000 series and WebAccess HMI/ SCADA software, so that users can easier access and remotely control through friendly browser-based interface. BAS-3000 series is designed for Energy Management and Facility Monitoring & Control Systems (HVAC, Lighting Controls, etc.). BAS-3520/BAS-3512 DDC is powerful controllers which provide stand-alone DDC control, schedule, and issuing their own alarms and events. In additions, they support both local and remote I/O expansion to increase flexibility and offer auto-tuning PID control allowing engineers to operate much easier. Moreover, Engineer can remotely upload and download DDC program as well as service and maintenance.

Advantech BAS-3000 series not only offer basic BAS functions, but also provide advanced BAS functions to fulfilled customer needs. The detail information of BAS functions are as bellow:

Advantech WebAccess is the web-enabled BAS software for human-machine interfaces (HMI), and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). All the features found in conventional HMI and SCADA software packages are available in an ordinary web Browser including Animated Graphics Displays, Real-time Data, Controllers, Trends, Alarms and Logs. Moreover, through a standard Web browser, users can easily view and control automation equipment used in facility management and building automation systems.

Top three applications for Advantech's Building Automation System include control of the HVAC equipment (such as chiller, boiler, heat pump), energy saving (for retail stores, factory chiller plants and heat pumps), and variable air volume/air handler units for cleaning rooms and labs.

Advantech targets HVAC equipment makers, HVAC control system integrators, ESCO and energy-focused system integrators as well as construction companies, chain-stores, retail stores, factory facility managers, focused building facility managers, and government building sponsors.

Advantech's BAS-3000 series are excellent cost/performance web-enabled DDC controllers that include free programming tools; flexible AC/DC 24V power inputs, unique I/O modules for local & remote I/O expandability, an innovative design, easy maintenance and operation, and auto tuning PID to reduce tuning & testing time.

Advantech's WebAccess allows users to easily view, control, and configure the system remotely through an ordinary browser to reduce cost and improve response times. In addition, it also supports both centralized and distributed database management to enhance database integrity and consistency as well as redundant SCADA and COM ports to assure system reliability.