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The proliferation of data within buildings represents an opportunity to create value by using analytics to solve problems. Taking advantage of that opportunity was a key driver for the merger between Johnson Controls and Tyco, said executives of Johnson Controls at the AHR Expo in Las Vegas.
With the combination of the two industry giants, “there’s no one better positioned to solve problems within buildings” than Johnson Controls, said George Oliver, president and chief operating officer of the combined company. He previously served as chief executive officer of Tyco.
Data itself doesn’t solve problems. “The value is in utilization of the data,” said Oliver. “How do you use data to solve problems? We will put ourselves in a unique position not only to deploy connected solutions, but to use systems to solve problems.”
There used to be good reasons to have boundary conditions between some building systems, like HVAC and fire, said Bill Jackson, president of Global Products, Building Technologies & Solutions. “But today you want all the data in one place.”
The applications for data analysis continue to expand. One example of the company’s connected solutions is the new Verasys system. The system, aimed at the middle market, has a flat architecture that integrates HVAC equipment and controls without requiring any special programming tools.
Data analysis creates an opportunity to move beyond past efforts in the areas of energy efficiency and sustainability, and into issues like productivity. Another example, said Jackson, is using data to ensure, at a level not possible in the past, that efficiency is achieved in actual performance. He cited the company’s Connected Chillers cloud-based analytics platform, which monitors chillers, provides immediate response to critical alarms, and analyzes and trends data on chillers to find opportunities to improve performance.
“You really need tribal knowledge to know that a chiller is about to go down,” Jackson said. “Pure technology companies don’t have that tribal knowledge.”
For more information about Johnson Controls, go to http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.
