Make your commercial space more convenient and energy-efficient with building automation

Maintaining a large commercial space can be daunting. Depending on the work requirements, you might need to adjust the building’s lighting, climate control systems, conference rooms and more on a daily basis. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to automate many of these tasks through professional building automation systems.

Manage security, access control, lighting, ventilation and even water monitoring from one central hub. Even collaboration areas are improved through remote conferencing capabilities. Read on to learn the top benefits of a building automation system in your Oahu, HI, commercial space. 

Energy Automation And Analytics Help You Manage Fluctuating Power Needs

Managing energy costs is a critical element to any commercial endeavor; the more efficiently you can heat or cool a facility or reduce unnecessary electrical use, the better your margins. Energy costs will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. Further complicating things is that many states have energy efficiency standard mandates similar to California's Title 24.

Building automation involves balancing energy use and environmental impact concerns while maintaining compliance and the comfort of the occupants. Energy management entails both regulating power and aggregating data to provide a clear picture of usage.

Are you intrigued by how an energy automation system can help your business? Read more below to find out how.

Honolulu, HI. – Sept 29, 2020 – Pacific Audio & Communications Hawaii, has hired Pono Nauka as General Manager of Oahu Operations.

Pono brings with him more than 20 years of experience in the custom electronics integration field. He has worked with both commercial, residential contractors and clients. Pono holds numerous certifications from CEDIA, Crestron, Control4, Lutron, HAA, and ISF to name a few.

In his role prior to joining Pacific Audio & Communications Hawaii, Pono has spent time in all aspects of the industry including; sales, operations, programming, engineering, documentation, and installation.  Philip Mulligan, CEO Pacific Audio & Communications Hawaii, said “We’re extremely excited to have Pono back on the team. His depth of experience, knowledge and management capabilities will complement our growing business in Hawaii.”

More information about Pono Nauka is available at the company’s About Us page.

For more information, contact Pat Mulligan at (808)-870-1615. Pacific Audio & Communications Hawaii. 

PAC Hawai’i announces expanded resources on the Big Island of Hawai’i

Hawai’i based electronics systems integration firm Pacific Audio & Communications Inc.(PAC Hawai’i)  is proud to announce that King Integration and its employees have joined the PAC Hawai’i team. This provides additional capacity required for anticipated business growth for the Big Island and Hawai’i Nui.

In late 2018, King Integration owners Ryan and Lorela King contacted Phil Mulligan CEO and Pat Mulligan VP of PAC to form a more unified and cohesive approach in the commercial and residential electronics integration market on the Big Island of Hawai’i.

Phil Mulligan Chief Executive, says, “This is a rare opportunity to have a high-quality firm like King Integration, whom has been in service for over a decade, want to unify and expand its offering. With the King Integration team coming on board with us we will be able to offer their clients and building trades expanded support and long-term services needed to elevate the Big Island market.”

To secure this unification, PAC has signed hiring contracts with Ryan King and his team (Mark, Keoni and Brandon) and has leased new office and warehouse locations in Kona at.73-5563 Olowalu St. Unit A-5, Kailua Kona Hi 96740

Ryan King adds, “We are excited to join a well established Hawai’i based company with more resources and sophisticated processes. Our client base on the Big Island will enjoy an improved service and maintenance experience while we continue to develop our new construction projects. I’ve known many peers on the Pacific Audio team over the years and am thrilled to be collaborating with them.”

Pacific Audio & Communications Creates Energy Efficient Systems in Maui, HI

Hawaii depends heavily on the use of petroleum for its energy needs, more than any other state in the country. While less than one percent of the United States’ electricity is generated using oil, by contrast, Hawaii relies on oil for 69.4 percent of its electricity production. Therefore, the state’s electricity prices are more than double the U.S. national average. What does this mean for luxury Maui, Hawaii hotels? Building automation systems allow hoteliers to effectively and efficiently manage energy consumption throughout their properties. Read on to learn about how to get started.



SEE ALSO: How to Distribute Quality Audio and Video in Your Business

Develop an Energy Management Plan

Knowing there is a better way to manage the use of energy within your hotel is a valuable realization but will do nothing to impact your bottom line unless there is an action that follows. The first step is to study how electricity is used throughout the property, where is energy being wasted or conserved. Such an evaluation will yield ways to save and therefore reduce consumption. Are spaces such as ballrooms and conference areas fully illuminated even when not in use? Can the temperature automatically be monitored and adjusted so that you need not rely on staff? The experts at Pacific Audio & Communications can make recommendations about a variety of building automation solutions that can further hotel management staff reaching their energy goals. Consider harvesting daylight by using motorized shades that respond intuitively based on the amount of available sunlight. Lights and shades can be paired to help keep large spaces from overheating resulting in an HVAC system that performs more efficiently.

Form a Team

As you develop an energy management program, you’ll want to be sure to include key employees as well as training focused on electricity-saving steps they can employ. The number of members and the team make-up will depend on the size of the organization and the amount of time and resources that can be committed to the project. Team members may also include local utility representatives or outside consultants familiar with the hotel industry.

Evaluate a Hotel’s Lighting System

A typical hotel is made up of many subsystems from water and ventilation to security and AC. A hotel’s lighting is often a good starting point since you’ll have data related to usage. Proper lighting within a hotel property requires some of the most sophisticated design. Each space within the hotel, think guest rooms, lobbies and restaurants, all need different types of lighting to create the right atmosphere. If the light is not used correctly, you’ll not only fail to set the mood, but you’ll also drive up costs related to electricity. At PAC, we partner with the best lighting designers to help you evaluate the way in which you currently use light throughout your property and the means by which you can control it. Light switches and dimming knobs are an antiquated way to adjust lighting levels. A commercial lighting control system allows you the flexibility to easily adjust lights using a keypad, hand-held remote or smart device. Hotel staff can easily recall specific lighting scenes to set the mood in various spaces throughout the property. Dimmers, sensors and timers all aid in the reduction of energy consumption.

PAC building automation systems have many additional capabilities to assist hoteliers with energy management. We’ve only just scratched the surfaces when it comes to upgrading the various systems in your hotel and would welcome the opportunity to talk to you in more detail about the possibilities.

Building Automation Solutions Can Enhance Students’ Productivity

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how much technology has become a part of students’ lives.

From the moment they wake up until just before they go to sleep, many children never take their eyes off of a screen.

Far from an indictment about their behavior, they’re essentially capable of receiving and processing information at a lightning pace. It’s the duty of educators to take advantage of that, and it starts with building automation solutions.

In this blog, we’ll illustrate how enhancing the technological presence in the classroom can improve student engagement and facilitate the learning experience.


See Also: How Conference Room Automation Makes Your Business More Impressive
 

Wireless Network

Sharing information over a wireless network has become second nature. So there’s no reason you can’t share files and other learning materials the same way.

Each student can have wireless access to a school intranet to help them keep track of their work and stay organized throughout their day.

A wireless mesh network integrated throughout the school would ensure that each student has access without battling for bandwidth. They can store their books, notes and more on a schoolwide cloud for easy access.

That way, no one can say they’ve forgotten their homework ever again!

Interactive Whiteboards

Students who don’t receive personalized attention can oftentimes fall behind on their studies.

In a traditional classroom setup, that’s exactly what happens. Students sit through lectures without much interaction and they can begin to drift.

Interactive whiteboards can help them stay on track and engaged with the lesson, by allowing them to ask pointed, specific questions about the task at hand.

Efficient Projector and Slide Sharing

Much of each lesson is taught with a projector. Whether the teacher is trying to share a power-point presentation or a video, the projected image is essential.

But a lot of time can be wasted if teachers spend half of the class setting up the technology.

Instead, offer one-touch solutions for starting the projector and dimming the lights to the appropriate levels.

That way, teachers can get back to teaching more quickly.

Centralize Control

For each system throughout the learning facility, administrators can still maintain full centralized control.

If the lights are left on in a classroom, or if the integrated projector is not stored correctly after use, administrators can quickly solve the problem with the touch of a button.

It will free up time to make their jobs easier.

 
Can your school or learning facility benefit from building automation solutions?

Click here to work with us to get started on your building upgrade or give us a call at (808) 386-5963.

Modern Convenience and Classic Style

Oahu is full of beautiful construction. It’s the perfect place to start building, but it’s also a place that should be preserved.

There’s no need to tear everything down and start again when you can renovate a classic building and bring it into the 21^st century.

In this blog, we’ll explore some of the smart ways you can revive old buildings with modern technology – from wireless solutions to whole building automation!

Want to learn more? Just click below.



See Also: We Have Moved To Our New Kauai Offices And Showroom!

Building Network

The first step in any building revival is integrating a network. The network is like the backbone of all automation, so you can get the most out of anything you add later.

In most cases, a hardwired fiber-optic network will ensure the greatest success. Fiber-optics are high-bandwidth cables, which allow for high speeds and large signal transfer, which makes moving information like 4K video easy.

Other times, you can’t drill through a wall or otherwise modify the space, so a wireless network is essential. If that’s the case, building a mesh network will help give you the coverage you need.

Mesh networks don’t work like traditional wireless networks. In a normal network, one device – the router – broadcasts the signal throughout the space, potentially leading to dead spots.

A mesh network, on the other hand, consists of nodes placed throughout the space that generate their own signal, and strengthen the ones nearby.

That way, users won’t have any issue enjoying Wi-Fi access.

Essential Building Automation

In a renovated space, including essential pieces of technology will help the building manager keep costs low and run efficiently.

One major way to do that is through lighting. LED helps you enjoy energy-efficient lights that don’t need frequent replacing, LED use up to 80 percent of the energy used to light them – unlike incandescent bulbs that burn off most energy as heat.

That means they run cooler and last longer.

Additionally, HVAC control will help ensure the building manager isn’t cooling spaces they don’t need to. That will help keep energy costs down.

Energy management software helps keep track of all real-time energy expenditures, so it’s easy to make real-time adjustments to your system.

 
Want to learn more about the essential technology necessary for renovating old Oahu buildings?

If you’re looking for an automation partner, or you have any questions regarding updating an old building with smart technology, just click here.