Take a look at buildings crowded with outdoor AC units that operate independently, not as part of a multi-split system. Each floor might have several units, each with its own wall-mounted or handheld controller. This isolated control setup leads to inefficiency: often, these controls are clustered together in one location, making it impossible to reflect the actual temperature of each room. Room usage isn’t accounted for, and adjustments must be made manually on each unit, repeating the same task multiple times. Without central control and optimization, costs rise fast.

Similarly, the lack of occupancy sensors means the AC may continue running even when rooms are empty. People often want a cool office, but it’s all too easy to forget to turn it off when leaving.

Another frustration in commercial cooling controls is the clash with other systems, like heating or air curtains. Without a unified system, these technologies often run in parallel—wasting energy and adding unnecessary costs.

Unnecessarily overestimated reserved power

Imagine a sunny day at a hotel resort. After a relaxing lunch, guests typically return to their rooms for a cool break or a quick nap. By midday, the rooms have warmed from the sun, prompting many to switch on the air conditioning simultaneously. This sudden spike in electricity use creates a peak demand for the entire building. To avoid overloading during these high-demand periods, the hotel must reserve a higher power capacity, which leads to costly flat-rate charges.

The key to efficiency and comfort: intelligent air conditioning

Intelligent control systems can address these and many other operational issues without requiring futuristic buildings. An “intelligent building” could be a new construction, a 30-year-old office, or even a municipal office in a historic building. By managing existing technologies in a modern way—including active cooling systems—a smart building effectively reduces operational challenges. It provides better energy management and eases budget constraints.

These are features and benefits that enhanced control for an existing air conditioning system can bring…

• Central visualisation and control of all units in one mobile or desktop application (real-time monitoring).
• Limitation of maximum and minimum user adjustable temperature.
• Standard shutdown of cooling when a window is open for more than, say, five minutes – thanks to the connection to the window sensor.
• One wall panel to control multiple air conditioners, even if they are not multisplit. No need for a multitude of boxes.
• Load manager function regulates power and surges, eliminating the need for giant transformer and overestimated lump sum reserved power.
• Alerts to the app if the desired temperature cannot be reached, indicating for example an open hallway door. The administrator knows exactly where to go to close the door.
• Connecting to electric roller shutters saves even more costs – if possible, the system will prioritise passive cooling over active cooling and trigger shading technology.
• Thanks to the connection with PV or SPOT, the system can pre-cool rooms at convenient times.
• Service intervals can be set in the app and notifications can be sent when maintenance is due.
• Air-conditioning operation can be linked to the calendar, including holidays and vacations.

Intellegent HVAC in Practice

In practice, these ideas are often met with limitations on the control side supplied by the manufacturers, yet they are not unrealistic. Modern air conditioners typically have open interfaces, allowing them to be controlled by a higher-level system.

Loxone also enables the integration of all building technologies into a single application, maximizing sensor functionality for lighting automation, alarms, or occupancy-based cooling. It seamlessly incorporates both multisplit systems with zone control via Modbus and stand-alone air conditioning units through AC Control Air.