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14 min read

What is an Open BAS?

By Phil Zito on Mar 30, 2023 5:00:00 AM

Hey folks, Phil Zito here and welcome back. In this post, we're going to be discussing what is an open building automation system. This topic has been getting a lot of noise lately on social media and on YouTube. So, I wanted to revisit an article we wrote a while ago about how to evaluate a building automation system where we go through what an open building automation system is and what are the types of openness in building automation systems. We're going to go through some criteria related to how to evaluate each type of openness and we're going to go through some spec language that you can utilize if you're a specifier, contractor, or an owner.

Topics: Building Automation System building automation HVAC open software API open procurement open protocol
15 min read

How to Move from HVAC to Building Automation

By Phil Zito on Mar 28, 2023 5:00:00 AM

Hey folks, Phil Zito here and welcome back. Okay, so I've gotten a lot of questions and my team's gotten a lot of questions about how do I make this transition from HVAC to building automation? This is a really cool question because it is, in my humble opinion, a logical transition. You know, especially if you do residential HVAC, it takes a toll on the body. It starts to, you know, kind of break the body down, wear the body out, and I find that while building automation still gives you that physical experience, and you still get to work with your hands, you also can kind of reduce that wear and tear on your body.

Topics: Building Automation System building automation HVAC training
13 min read

Do Apprenticeships Really Need To Last So Long?

By Phil Zito on Aug 11, 2022 5:00:00 AM

Hey folks, Phil Zito here and welcome back. In this post, I'm going to talk about a pretty controversial topic, which is, do apprenticeships really need to last so long. This is something that people tend to get really heated on really quickly. If you even suggest that maybe 5, 4, or 3-year apprenticeships are just way too long, and that maybe perhaps apprenticeships are happening so that you could have someone that you pay a little lower than pay someone else to do something that they could have probably learned pretty quick.

Topics: Building Automation System HVAC smartbuildings BAS Training apprenticeship
21 min read

Hydronic System Control Part 1

By Phil Zito on Jan 22, 2021 6:31:06 AM

CLICK TO READ HYDRONIC SYSTEM CONTROL PART 2. 

Hello and welcome back!  This week we have some great topics planned for you, we are going to cover hot water systems. 

Topics: Building Automation System HVAC hydronic systems
16 min read

Airside Unit Control Fundamentals Part 3

By Phil Zito on Dec 17, 2020 9:06:45 AM

Hey folks, Phil Zito here and welcome back!  In this post, we are going to be talking about 100% outdoor air units and make up air units.   We're also going to be talking a little bit about mixed air temperature control.   

Topics: Building Automation System HVAC Airside systems
42 min read

Airside Unit Control Fundamentals Part 2

By Phil Zito on Dec 2, 2020 9:37:31 AM

Hey folks, Phil Zito here and welcome back!  In this postwe’re going to be continuing our series on HVAC sequences.  Now, in the previous two posts, we went through Space Control and we went through simple Rooftop Unit Control 

Topics: HVAC Airside systems
39 min read

Airside Unit Control Fundamentals

By Phil Zito on Nov 18, 2020 8:00:00 AM

Hey folks! Welcome back! This week, we are going to be continuing our series on HVAC Control Sequences. In our previous post, we went through airside space control and how we use conditioned air. We also talked about VAV boxes and how they're controlled as well as all the different point types. 

Topics: controls HVAC Airside systems
31 min read

Space Control Fundamentals

By Phil Zito on Nov 6, 2020 1:48:40 PM

Hello folks!  This week, we are going to begin a multi-part series on HVAC Control Sequences.  We’re going to cover several control sequences and I’ll provide you my thoughts as we go through these sequences, so that you can better understand what exactly we should be doing when we have control sequences as building automation professionals. 

Topics: HVAC
7 min read

Condensing Systems 101

By Phil Zito on Sep 3, 2013 3:39:05 PM

Central Utility Plants are the life blood of an HVAC system. This series will begin to give the reader an understanding of what Central Utility Plants are and will act as a spring board from which we can launch into deep control discussions.

Topics: HVAC Condensing Systems
7 min read

Pumping Systems 101

By Phil Zito on Jun 3, 2013 7:38:59 PM

Central Utility Plants are the life blood of an HVAC system. This series will begin to give the reader an understanding of what Central Utility Plants are and will act as a spring board from which we can launch into deep control discussions.

Topics: Central Utility Plants HVAC