TCS Basys Controls releases first report in Ubiquity Reports Suite

The first of a planned series of reports generated by its Ubiquity enterprise building management system has been released by TCS Basys Controls.

The “Site Level Performance Report” is generated by Ubiquity, the TCS Basys Controls system for controlling and monitoring multiple remote buildings. The report provides valuable information about HVAC, lighting and energy performance for each building in a multi-building organization.

The report is the first of a series that will utilize the Composite Rating System (CRS)™, a proprietary system developed by TCS Basys Controls for measuring and comparing building performance. CRS allows users to set performance benchmarks for various factors including temperature set points, how well desired temperatures are maintained, energy use per square foot, heating or cooling runtime, and other factors. Users can also weight factors according to their importance to management.

Ubiquity calculates a CRS score for each building, allowing managers to see an “apples-to-apples” comparison between all buildings based on their own corporate benchmarks.

The Site Level Performance Report has a “drill-down” format, where the first pages of the report provide summary data, followed by pages of detailed information that managers can refer to if they require more in-depth information.

Also included in the report are specific recommendations based on actual performance. For example, if a particular HVAC unit has an unusually high amount of runtime, the “Recommendations” section of the report will suggest checking equipment sizing and operating condition in that building.

“This report is the first of many reports which will utilize the vast informational advantages that our central server approach provides,” I stated recently in a media interview, “Future reports will expand even further on our vision of providing facility managers with information that was never before possible to obtain.”

For more information about Ubiquity, contact TCS Basys Controls at 800-288-9383.

Daylight Saving Time Changes in 2007

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 specified that starting in 2007 daylight saving time will be extended. Beginning in March 2007, daylight saving time will start on the second Sunday in March and revert to back to standard time on the first Sunday in November (as opposed to the current first Sunday in April, last Sunday in October schedule).

This change will impact all standalone TCS controllers with 365-day clocks. We will accommodate the new daylight saving time schedule starting with version 1.5 and version 1.6 controllers (available now). For older model standalone controllers, we recommend disabling the "automatic daylight saving" feature and manually resetting the clock twice annually. Controllers connected to Ubiquity or a standalone QD2040 will automatically adjust to the new schedule; however, standalone QD2040's do require a software update. For more information, follow the links below or contat your TCS sales rep directly.

General Information -- www.tcsbasys.com/docs/daylight_saving.pdf

Technical Support Bulletin -- www.tcsbasys.com/docs/daylight_schd_change.pdf

Daylight Saving Time Info -- aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/daylight_time.html
-- webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/

TCS Contact Information -- www.tcsbasys.com/contact.html

To make matters worse, this change may only be temporary, as this "new" schedule is only in effect for a 2 year trial period. After that, the "real" schedule may revert back, stay the same, or be something completely different. Since no one can anticipate the government’s legislative whims, centralized control is a great solution. With centralized control, changing hundreds of thermostats in an enterprise is a simple automated function (a couple clicks of the mouse), as compared to a repetitive manual task which wastes hundreds of man-hours. For a personal tour of our centralized control solution, Ubiquity™, or for answers to other questions please use the contact info above.

AHR Expo 2007 Wrap Up

This year's AHR Expo was a tremendous success. Tons of attendees flooded the TCS booth with interests ranging from our long-lived programmable controls and sensors to our NEW Wireless Control Solution and Preferred Contractor program. Ben Shipley, VP of Enterprise Products and Services, gave a presentation on Monday regarding our enterprise-wide performance reporting capabilities for multi-site installations. Although hectic at times, it was a great show. We appreciate everyone who took the time to stop by and visit our booth. It was wonderful to renew old-friendships and make new acquaintances. We look forward to working with each of you in the coming year.

For additional general information, use these links. --
show updates -- www.ahrexpo.com
complete company info -- www.tcsbasys.com

For additional "featured product/program" information, use these links. --
wireless control solution -- www.tcsbasys.com/wireless.html
preferred contractor program -- www.tcsbasys.com/preferred.html
enterprise-wide reporting -- www.tcsbasys.com/reporting.html

For a personal tour of our enterprise management solution, please contact our Sales Department:
Tel: 800.288.9383 or 608.836.9034
Fax: 608.836.9044
Email: sales@tcsbasys.com