CASE STUDY

Remote Tools to Manage From Anywhere

The Challenge

Dealership Staff had extremely limited tools to manage old HVAC equipment across mechanic bays, offices and customer areas. With limited onsite understanding about HVAC equipment, and no data to inform decisions, frustration was high.

The Details

Flexible, Affordable Hardware To Manage Different Spaces: The Dealership had different needs across its space - large garage doors in the mechanic bay frequently opened and closed and brought the outside weather in. In staff offices, poorly placed thermostats meant the temperatures informing equipment operations weren’t representative of the staff’s experience. 

Cognition Smart Commercial Controls were compatible with the different HVAC equipment used in the building, and wireless sensors were installed in tricky areas to enhance the accuracy of temperature readings to increase comfort while reducing equipment runtime. 

Cognition Intelligence analyzes data to identify operational changes in fridges/freezers, and equipment that requires maintenance. For example, Cognition identified that this Freezer was operating at the high end of the operating range and defrost cycles meant it spent more time out of range than in. This was further exacerbated by staff restocking practices.

Using Cognition’s flexible permissions and web-based Dashboard, staff now manage comfort and equipment from their desktop. All override activity is documented in the dashboard to identify troubling areas (or users), and Cognition intelligence minimizes the impacts of poor user decisions by auto-limiting override durations to balance comfort with savings. The Dealership achieved enhanced comfort while reducing HVAC runtime ~20%, reducing HVAC utility costs.

Equipment Insights and Alerts:  Within weeks of install, Cognition’s runtime and temperature intelligence began identifying and alerting users to HVAC equipment issues, including:



• Equipment operational limits - Some of the Dealerships older equipment struggled to attain comfort settings when weather outside was warm. Equipment runtime insights helped to narrow where investment dollars could be deployed.
• Equipment degradations and failures
• Ongoing but isolated power surges, which helped the Dealer’s electrician troubleshoot the underlying issue
• Preventative maintenance and air filter change reminders

All Cognition alerts and reminders are sent to Users and auto-documented in the Dashboard Equipment Notes for information continuity and better decision making. Users can add notes, pictures, and upload utility bills for quick access to important information. Access can be shared with HVAC Pros, for enhanced decisions about HVAC service and investments.