IoT in building and climate technology

Interview with Frank Trautmann, STULZ GmbH

In our interview with Frank Trautmann, Head of Key Account Management ITK at STULZ GmbH and recently appointed head of the BREKO project group "Data Centers", on the topic of conserving personnel and resources, we highlighted key questions surrounding the requirements and opportunities of IoT solutions in the field of building and air conditioning technology. It is clear how digital solutions such as building management systems, network technology, and energy management help to increase operational reliability and use resources, especially personnel and costs, more efficiently. Our modern "CyberHub Service" tool will enable us to perform predictive maintenance in the future and is already optimizing cooperation between service providers and operators.

 

What requirements do operators and service providers have for IoT in order to minimize preventive and corrective maintenance costs and increase operational reliability?

The requirements of operators and service providers are not that far apart: Operators want to keep costs as low as possible and, of course, minimize disruptions, as these interfere with operations. In addition, our customers are companies that use air conditioning technology to secure their operational processes. As a service provider, we want to use IoT to replace corrective measures with preventive measures. IoT should help us to identify in advance which disruptions may occur in the future and which measures will be necessary. We also want to deploy our limited personnel as effectively as possible so that they do not have to climb onto roofs in the middle of the night.

What role do building management systems, networks, and energy management play within the IoT, and how do they contribute to resource conservation?

Building management systems are generally the means of detecting faults and malfunctions at an early stage. Network technology is our transmission technology at a central location, which can be at STULZ or at a customer's National Operating Center. Ultimately, energy management is there to help our customers reduce costs and to help us detect malfunctions at an early stage. In other words, these three components are the key components that convey the status of the data center to the outside world. Our goal is to bring all three components together again at a different location as data collectors and to provide them with algorithms, thereby conserving resources in terms of personnel and costs.

Here's an example: if the customer's device is not running efficiently, we have to make a correction. To do this, we read the location and see what can be improved. Then a new software version is written and we roll it out via the CyberHub Service system for each of the customer's locations, where each service technician performs the update during the next scheduled maintenance – this is also IoT usage. We use CyberHub Service to offer our technicians and, above all, our customers a uniform software standard and the most energy-efficient solution everywhere.
 

Which measures within the IoT will support predictive maintenance on STULZ GmbH products in the future, and how will this affect personnel and maintenance costs?

The aforementioned energy management, building management, and network technology systems come into play here. The CyberHub Service component should not be forgotten either. However, our "E Square" controller also comes into play here. The controller is part of building management, network technology, and energy management, whereas CyberHub Service is more or less our data collector, which we also use to provide our customers with budget planning options. For example, customers can consolidate all system- or device-related invoices. This enables us to identify systems that are prone to malfunction. We take a close look at these locations and assess whether the air conditioning technology used is outdated and needs to be replaced.

This means that CyberHub Service is the link to the customer. The customer reports the malfunction there and we forward it to our service technicians via CyberHub Service. In this case, we contact the customer and arrange an appointment together. We can view the status of the order at any time via the software. Once the work is complete, the customer immediately receives the finished malfunction report in their system. The advantage is that most of our customers have redundant devices. This means that if an air conditioning unit fails, it is a fault, but only rated as priority 2, as a standby unit takes over. These fault repairs can then be postponed until the next working day. However, if the priority 2 fault becomes a priority 1 fault when the temperature in the room also rises above a certain limit, immediate action must be taken. IoT helps us to recognize and differentiate this. To do this, we need building management technology that recognizes that air conditioner 1 is malfunctioning, but the room temperature remains stable.

It is important here that not only do our systems work together, but that our systems are also compatible with the customer's systems, as the building management system belongs to the customer. The network technology also belongs to the customer. The controller physically belongs to the customer, but since it comes from STULZ and we developed the software, we can control it. The energy management, on the other hand, can come from STULZ, but it can also come from a third-party provider. As I said, for us, IoT encompasses the main components of building management systems, network technology, energy management, and CyberHub Service.