FläktEdge FAQs
FläktEdge is a system solution released in 2023 for the interconnection of all FläktGroup ventilation products & solutions for buildings. With the aid of FläktEdge, you can link our products together to monitor, measure and control them within a building or across multiple buildings.
Not exactly. Although FläktEdge is for FläktGroup products, it does go way beyond this. With FläktEdge, as well as a network solution, the system offers summation balancing and pressure optimisation. With FläktEdge controls you can also incorporate other third-party equipment such as chillers, boilers, lighting, and blind control.
Yes, we would describe it as a mini BMS or building automation system for all our products and third-party equipment, but we see that FläktEdge is more competitively priced when compared to other full control systems.
When a BMS or BACs solution is installed, there is a lot of programming needed to bring all the products together, this makes the solution more expensive to implement. In comparison, FläktEdge has all FläktGroup products built into the system already, along with intelligent controls for ventilation. This reduces the time and effort needed to get FläktEdge up and running and is, therefore, a more competitive option for small and medium-sized buildings.
No this is not our intention. We see an opportunity in the market, being driven by the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD), to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Installing a BMS or BACS solution in small and medium-sized buildings is expensive. We see that FläktEdge is the competitive solution for these applications.
Within buildings, the HVAC equipment consumes at least 36% of the energy usage on average. This is a considerable amount of energy usage, and we feel it is important that FläktGroup is a responsible supplier. We believe that FläktEdge controls offer our customers the best means to monitor our equipment whilst also creating a quality indoor air environment and reducing energy usage costs.
The system controls the pressure from the air handling unit in the ductwork. Using our algorithm, the system ensures that dampers are positioned with the correct aperture for the desired airflow and temperature. By doing this and constantly monitoring the application we can adjust the pressure down to the minimum requirements, therefore reducing the demand on the AHU. This also manages the temperature which, in turn, reduces the energy demand. As such, the AHU does not work harder than it needs to.
We can say that 20-30% of energy is saved at the air handling unit and when this is combined with demand control ventilation, this increases to >60%.
When you implement FläktEdge into your building, you are enhancing the attractiveness of the building to your clients. This increases the rental yield potential from the building and can cancel out the initial cost of installing FläktEdge.
Additionally, one more general issue with a ventilation system is the noise it produces. Noise can affect the comfort and concentration of people within a building. FläktEdge can help identify noise related issues and rectify the system for you.
When concentration is affected by the noise of ventilation a person’s attention and engagement levels drop which results in the individual being less productive. If you can demonstrate to prospective clients a quiet ventilation system, your building/s becomes more attractive due to better productivity levels being able to be achieved. A quieter ventilation system offers a less stressful environment, which can be achieved with FläktEdge overseeing the system.
The short answer is yes. However, this would be a more expensive approach.
The majority of our products are already included in FläktEdge with more to be added soon, and so there are time and cost savings to be made if you specify or install only FläktGroup products. Installing and linking products from another manufacturer to FläktEdge has to be done manually and will increase the price you pay.
We have a single industrial PC that the software program is installed. We then have a network connection to this PC and depending on the size or complexity of the building there may need to be a switch to bring everything to this controller. Working backwards from here we have the products and, again depending on the size of the building etc., we may connect these products in Modbus loops and connect to the FläktEdge system with a Modbus gateway. Therefore, any products with a Modbus communication protocol can be integrated into FläktEdge.
