Heating and cooling are both essential for maintaining comfortable conditions in commercial buildings. But what happens when they’re operating against each other?

Simultaneous heating and cooling can result in one part of a system attempting to increase the temperature while another is actively trying to reduce it. The building may still feel comfortable, meaning the problem can continue unnoticed while consuming unnecessary energy.

A Building Energy Management System can provide the visibility needed to identify when this is happening and help determine the cause.

Why Does Simultaneous Heating and Cooling Happen?

There isn’t always one simple explanation.

Incorrect or conflicting setpoints can cause heating and cooling systems to respond at the same time. An inappropriate deadband can have a similar effect if there isn’t sufficient separation between the temperatures at which heating and cooling are activated.

Manual overrides can also interfere with normal control strategies, particularly when an override intended to be temporary is left in place.

Sensor problems are another potential cause. If a temperature sensor provides an inaccurate reading, the BEMS may call for heating or cooling when it isn’t actually required.

Using BEMS Data to Find the Problem

One of the advantages of a BEMS is the amount of information available about how building services are operating.

Data can be used to examine temperatures, setpoints, valve positions, plant status and other information over time. This can help engineers identify occasions when heating and cooling demand overlap.

Rather than relying solely on an occupant reporting that an area feels too hot or too cold, facilities teams can investigate what the systems were actually doing at that time.

Small Control Issues Can Have a Wider Impact

A control issue affecting one area may appear relatively minor. However, if similar problems exist across multiple zones or continue for long periods, the resulting energy consumption can become significant.

Plant may also operate for longer than necessary, increasing runtime and placing additional demand on equipment.

Correcting the issue could involve adjusting setpoints or deadbands, recalibrating a sensor, removing an unnecessary override or reviewing the wider control strategy.

Make Your Building Systems Work Together

An effective BEMS should coordinate heating and cooling rather than allowing the two to compete.

At Concord, we use BEMS data analysis and our knowledge of building controls to investigate unusual system behaviour and identify opportunities to improve performance.

By understanding how different systems are interacting, facilities teams can address hidden inefficiencies and ensure heating and cooling are responding appropriately to the needs of the building.

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