Background
A landmark commercial office building within a large national property portfolio had all the hallmarks of operational excellence: strong on-site facilities management, a new mechanical team, and a top-tier 6-star NABERS Energy rating. Yet, a long-standing issue had been quietly compromising energy performance.
For over a year, one of the main Air Handling Units (AHUs) was running its fans at 100% output. The supply air pressure was consistently below setpoint, despite contractor interventions, including filter replacements. Each attempt brought only marginal improvement, with no resolution in sight.
Challenge
PEAK detected a fault condition through one of its supply air pressure rules:
"Unit supply air pressure is constantly below setpoint when operating at max fan speed."
This alert was critical, it flagged that the AHU was failing to deliver adequate air pressure even at full fan output, a likely sign of a mechanical or control system failure.
The incumbent mechanical team had investigated the alert and replaced air filters, assuming blockages were to blame. However, this only slightly improved airflow. The true cause of the issue remained unidentified, and with no further actions taken, the alert remained unresolved.
Solution
Everything changed when a new mechanical services contractor came onboard. Following his PEAK training, the site technician assigned to the building took a proactive approach to open alerts and system diagnostics.
Revisiting the supply air issue flagged by PEAK, he inspected the affected AHU in detail. That’s when he uncovered the real culprit: a failed Printed Circuit Board (PCB) in one of the AHU’s supply fans. This component failure had disabled part of the fan's operation, forcing the system to compensate by running the remaining components at full speed, creating a continuous energy drain.
After replacing the faulty PCB, fan speeds returned to a normal operating range of 40-50%, and the AHU was finally able to maintain the correct supply air pressure without excessive energy use.
Takeaway
This case proves that even the most efficient buildings benefit from independent, continuous monitoring. Without PEAK, a hidden equipment failure would have continued to degrade performance and increase costs under the radar. With actionable alerts and data-driven insights, PEAK empowers technicians to uncover what others miss—turning routine inspections into major operational wins.
