(This blog is part 1 of our series on Introducing FDD Technology and Its Value)
Managing buildings is no small feat. Facility managers, building engineers, and technicians face a whirlwind of responsibilities—from keeping equipment and systems humming to staying compliant with service-level agreements (SLAs), to walking the tightrope of occupant comfort and energy efficiency. It’s a high stake, often low-budget, environment involving:
- Wrestling with complex systems and huge amounts of data.
- Meeting stringent energy efficiency goals and regulatory reporting standards.
- Optimizing equipment performance and health across aging infrastructure.
- Coordinating in-house maintenance teams and third-party vendors.
- Scrambling to fix the most critical mechanical, electrical, and control system issues.
While facility managers often expect their technicians to spend at least 80% of their time fixing things (aka getting stuff done), the reality is that if you ask your average field technician, they’ll say they spend most of their time figuring out what broke and how they need to fix.
And here’s the kicker: many maintenance teams are understaffed or lack the expertise needed to navigate complex field issues found in control sequence problems, network faults, or legacy BMS quirks.
That’s not to say that engineers don’t have enough institutional knowledge. They do. Many engineers have an incredible sixth sense for spotting issues based on sound or observation – like saying “that valve should be partially open, not closed” or “that damper looks out of position.” But intuition and knowledge sharing isn’t a scalable strategy, especially in complex operations where signals are weak across a diverse portfolio of buildings.
So, What Is Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) Software?
Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) software is a powerful tool designed to identify and diagnose inefficiencies or faults within a building's systems and equipment. This includes physical equipment—think identifying chillers with low refrigerant charge, air handling units with a stuck damper, boilers with a failing pump—as well as software systems with inefficiencies and automation controllers with signal issues.
Unlike traditional building management systems (BMS), which tend to flag focused issues without much context, i.e., “alarm” when a setpoint has deviated from a preconfigured range, dedicated software tools for FDD take their analysis multiple steps further. For example, these tools can:
- Detect: Identify anomalies in real time using advanced algorithms.
FDD goes beyond basic alarms by analyzing data to provide detailed insights. For instance, when a BMS alarm signals high discharge air temperature in an air handling unit (AHU), FDD identifies the make, model, and size of the unit and explains that the issue has persisted for 24 hours continuously.
- Diagnose: Pinpoint root causes, their impact, as well as provide suggested fixes.
This second “D” can assign costs to the fault, determine what other systems might be impacted by that fault, and provide additional meta data relevant to the fault. Continuing the example above, a message would look like this: The heating valve in the AHU is stuck open or leaking, and this is affecting 3 zones on the 12th floor. This problem has wasted $120 in the last 24 hours.
- Deliver: Offer actionable insights.
This capability doesn’t just provide cryptic error codes, but in some cases, can couple supervisory control actions to sequences, setpoints, and schedules to make necessary changes remotely, or generate focused work orders for field technicians to fix. One such insight involves an automated work order to inspect and replace the valve if necessary and perform a manual override test to check valve movement.
What Are the Key Features of FDD Software?
- Data Integration and a Unified Data Model: FDD technology is usually coupled with a software layer that abstracts data from sensors, BMS data points, and equipment (e.g., HVAC, lighting, energy) into a centralized data model, often using standards like BRICK or Haystack.
- Fault Detection: FDD uses a customizable rules engine to identify inefficiencies or underperforming systems.
- Diagnostics: FDD pinpoints the root causes of issues and suggests corrective actions prioritized by comfort, energy, and cost.
- Alerts and Notifications: FDD delivers real-time updates to keep teams informed.
- Actionable Insights: FDD recommends steps to resolve faults and optimize operations.
How Does FDD Work?
Buildings are full-to-the-brim with sensors that gather information on various parameters—temperature, humidity, pressure, and energy consumption. Most of this data is typically abstracted from polling BMS, metering, and lighting devices.
FDD aggregates this collected data and compares it to predefined patterns and models to identify deviations and potential faults. Most FDD tools analyze building management system (BMS) data by comparing it to expected control sequences and equipment schedules. This defines the baseline control strategy for each system and assesses the potential impact of detected faults on key factors such as occupant comfort, maintenance costs, and energy consumption.
It works like this: By knowing the control rules and equipment specs of the equipment in the building (chillers, air handling units, boilers, heat pumps, etc.), FDD can better detect if something is off, such as an economizer letting in too much hot air when it shouldn’t. Because FDD knows the equipment information (size, make, model, equipment schedule), it can then estimate the impact of that issue—whether it’s making the building less comfortable, increasing energy bills, or causing wear and tear on the system.
FDD will provide key metrics (KPIs) showing the overall effect of all the detected issues combined, as well as details on individual faults. These KPIs help building managers decide what needs urgent attention and how fixing it could improve energy savings, comfort, and maintenance costs.
Who Uses FDD?
Operations and Maintenance Teams: Whether on-site or remote, FDD helps these teams monitor system performance and prioritize fixes.
Third-Party Service Providers: Mechanical, electrical, and commissioning agents can use FDD insights to enhance their services or streamline maintenance tasks.
Energy Managers and Sustainability Teams: FDD aids with measurement and verification (M&V) and tracks the effectiveness of energy conservation measures.
Is Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Yes and no. FDD is not AI in the way most industries would describe something like machine learning (the ability for machines to learn from data and improve over time without being explicitly programmed for every task). Instead, it’s a form of AI typically referred to as “expert systems” – a type of AI that codifies domain-specific knowledge and industry know-how into highly specialized algorithms.
However, machine learning in FDD systems is on the up: it can speed up deployments and reduce false positives (incorrectly identified faults when none exists), duplicates, and improve insights.
Is FDD a Maintenance Silver Bullet?
As with all forms of technology adoption, there is a significant element of change management involved in realizing the true power of FDD. Whether it’s actually actioning the suggested fixes (FDD doesn’t do it for you) or transitioning from schedule-based to preventive maintenance regimes based on data – changes in thinking and processes are required.
Different departments (from sustainability, asset management, IT, and operations) need to be aligned, and FDD should be integrated within as many existing operational workflows and systems as possible (such as CAFM and CMMS systems) to ensure seamless adoption.
How FDD Software Addresses Building Management Challenges
1. Simplifies Complex Systems and Data Overload
Challenge: Managers and operators struggle to extract actionable insights from vast amounts of building data.
FDD Solution:
- Aggregates data into a centralized platform for easy access.
- Filters out unnecessary information, highlighting critical issues.
- Provides interactive dashboards for enhanced visualization and analysis.
2. Eases Troubleshooting and Issue Resolution
Challenge: Valuable time wasted diagnosing faults and resources.
FDD Solution:
- Delivers operational visibility to quickly identify and resolve issues.
- Automates fault diagnostics, reducing manual troubleshooting efforts and enabling quicker fixes.
3. Tackles Inefficient Energy Use
Challenge: Energy waste from poor optimization and unnecessary equipment operation.
FDD Solution:
- Monitors energy consumption in real time.
- Detects inefficiencies (like simultaneous heating and cooling).
- Recommends adjustments to optimize usage and cut costs.
4. Improves Equipment Health Visibility
Challenge: Unanticipated equipment failures that disrupt operations.
FDD Solution:
- Tracks equipment performance metrics to identify potential issues.
- Enables proactive maintenance to extend asset life.
5. Reduces Maintenance Costs
Challenge: Reactive maintenance that leads to expensive repairs and unplanned downtime.
FDD Solution:
- Shifts to preventive maintenance by forecasting failures.
- Reduces emergency repairs and callouts.
- Eliminates the necessity of manual schedule-based inspections.
6. Ensures Occupant Comfort
Challenge: Complaints about inconsistent temperatures or poor air quality.
FDD Solution:
- Monitors environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and air quality.
- Alerts operations teams of HVAC faults to prevent/reduce downtime before occupants are impacted.
7. Meets Sustainability and Compliance Goals
Challenge: Adherence to energy standards and regulations.
FDD Solution:
- Tracks energy performance and verifies energy saved from detected faults to ensure compliance and optimize operations.
- Reduces carbon emissions through optimized resource use.
8. Supports Understaffed and Inexperienced Teams
Challenge: Limited staff and lack of domain expertise that hinder building operations.
FDD Solution:
- Automates diagnostics to reduce dependency on manual intervention.
- Provides user-friendly interfaces and actionable recommendations for all skill levels.
- Codifies knowledge of experienced technicians and building operators for next generation workers.
9. Scales Across Portfolios
Challenge: Managing multiple buildings with inconsistent processes.
FDD Solution:
- Standardizes operations across locations.
- Enables remote monitoring and centralized decision-making.
How FDD Allows for Smarter, not Harder Work
Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) is a proven solution to manage and operate buildings in a smarter way. FDD software has been revolutionizing building management for over a decade by serving as a digital assistant to field technicians, making it an indispensable tool in most carbon and energy reduction programs. In fact, a 2020 study of 6500 buildings by Berkeley National Laboratory and the US Department of Energy found that FDD saved the median organization $3 million annually, or 9% in energy savings.
Additionally, FDD paves a way to shift traditional, reactive approaches to building maintenance towards a more proactive and preventive model. Instead of responding to issues after they escalate, facility managers can identify issues in real-time, enabling faster response times, reducing operational costs, and ultimately extending the lifespan of critical building system equipment. In turn, FDD brings enhanced occupant experience, sustainability, and workforce resiliency benefits too.
How FDD Software Shifts Maintenance from Reactive to Proactive
If you look at the tools maintenance teams typically use today, many of these are still based on manual processes and calendar-based schedules. A typical maintenance routine might involve a technician walking through a checklist to inspect cooling towers, chillers, boilers, air handlers, or VAV boxes—all to ensure each piece of equipment is operating as designed.
FDD technology changes the game by automating these checks. Instead of performing a handful of manual checks during a scheduled visit, FDD software runs thousands of checks per day, 365 days a year, flagging the worst-performing equipment in real time.
It’s a massive shift from reacting to complaints or working through manual routines to having an always-on system that surfaces insights proactively. Imagine knowing the top five issues for your chiller before you even walk into the mechanical room.
The Business Case for FDD: Operational Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Simplified Management
Fault detection and diagnostics software is not just a technological upgrade—it’s a proven necessity for modern building management. Through automated, simplified management, FDD empowers facility managers and operators to take control of their buildings in ways never before possible allowing them to streamline operations, reduce costs, and address challenges head-on.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog series in which we’ll explore how ICONICS’ automation software brings advanced FDD capabilities to life, integrating supervisory control, alarm management, and energy optimization into one powerful platform.
In the meantime, why don't you discover ICONICS
smart buildings solutions and
fault detection and diagnostic software. You can also email our experts at
smartbuildings@iconics.com.