In an era when energy efficiency, system resilience and sustainability are driving operational decisions, the HVAC industry is shifting toward smarter systems and connected technologies to meet rising expectations. Achieving true optimization means moving beyond traditional performance metrics to harness real-time data, intelligent control and innovative design to reduce waste, extend system lifespan and improve environmental outcomes. With strategic investment in modern HVAC solutions, facilities can achieve measurable gains in both performance and cost-effectiveness.
Smarter HVAC Systems Expert Interview
Tony Lopez is a Sales Manager at Badger Meter with extensive experience helping commercial, industrial and institutional customers optimize building systems. In this interview, he shares insights into how advanced metering, flow monitoring and water quality technologies from Badger Meter support HVAC optimization, reduce waste and enhance long-term efficiency.
How can we monitor and control our HVAC system effectively to optimize performance and improve sustainability?
Integrating advanced digital metering, energy monitoring and water quality technologies empowers engineers to precisely control and optimize HVAC system performance. The BlueEdge™ suite of solutions provides intelligent, data-driven insights that enhance network visibility, enabling informed decision-making and streamlined operations.
Our product portfolio includes inline electromagnetic and ultrasonic meters, as well as non-invasive clamp-on flow and energy solutions designed to maximize efficiency in mechanical building services, new builds, retrofit HVAC plants and district energy networks. Specialized water quality monitoring technology also helps proactively prevent corrosion in both closed and open loop systems, enhancing system longevity and reliability.
With accurate measurement of flow, energy usage and water quality, BlueEdge supports effective energy cost allocation, system balancing and loss minimization. These solutions also help identify leaks, track evaporation and manage fluctuating demand across hydronic heating and cooling applications.
Together, precise metering and intelligent monitoring reduce maintenance needs, optimize system efficiency and support long-term sustainability goals. By transforming real-time data into actionable intelligence, Badger Meter solutions put greater performance and control into your hands, protecting both operational budgets and critical infrastructure.
How can intelligent system monitoring help mitigate over-pumping through demand-based control?
The BlueEdge suite of solutions, including ModMAG® M2000 Inline Electromagnetic flow meters and Dynasonics® TFX-5000 non-intrusive ultrasonic flow meters, assists large HVAC systems throughout buildings, campuses and universities with optimizing chillers, reducing over-pumping, detecting excessive flow, optimizing pump operation, improving chilled water distribution and reducing energy waste.
Our flow meters integrate with Building Management Systems (BMS), support sustainability goals by tracking water and energy usage for LEED certification or local compliance requirements, and justify future system upgrades for pumps, chillers or control systems. For example, if flow meters indicate persistent over-pumping, facilities managers may decide to invest in variable speed pumps to enhance efficiency and reduce costs long-term.
Which technologies are available to optimize chilled water distribution in large-scale facilities?
Balancing flow to different buildings helps to maintain proper Delta T Performance by detecting flow imbalances. For example, if a lecture hall is receiving too much chilled water, but a dormitory is not getting enough, adjustments can be made to balance the system efficiently by leveraging the M2000 inline electromagnetic flow meters and TFX-5000 non-intrusive ultrasonic flow meters from the BlueEdge portfolio.
Can traditional buildings be retrofitted to meet modern high-efficiency standards?
Absolutely! Utilizing our actionable energy data helps to improve the performance of Air Handling Units (AHUs) in plenums and other locations throughout buildings. Our energy meters provide real-time data on thermal energy transfer in hydronic systems, which helps to optimize AHU performance by improving control strategies, efficiency and system balancing.
Clamp-on meters from our BlueEdge portfolio offer an easy solution, simply clamping onto a pipe’s exterior, with no need to interrupt service, cut into a pipe, drain systems or shut down operations to install them. This helps to create energy-efficient HVAC systems in mechanical building services, new build, retrofit HVAC plants and district heating-cooling networks.
Retrofitting the TFX-5000 or the DXN-5P portable flow meter is a game changer, with meters installed on a running HVAC system without having to make pipe interventions or requiring a system shutdown. The TFX-5000 clamp-on flow meter plays a vital role for ESCO (Energy Service Companies) projects due to its 0.5% accuracy and repeatability, providing reliable data that assists in optimizing HVAC systems.
Final Thoughts
Smart water management technologies are helping HVAC systems run more efficiently and sustainably than ever before. By combining accurate flow measurement, thermal energy monitoring and advanced water quality analytics, facilities gain the insights they need to reduce waste, extend system life and support greener operations. With BlueEdge solutions from Badger Meter, performance, precision and sustainability go hand in hand.
