Controlling heating in containers on site
Technical possibilities for controlling heating in construction site containers are currently plentiful. There are many smart home systems on the market that can be used for back-end construction. I myself have been using devices from the Shelly brand for several years, which currently has a great variety of components for building a system. Other manufacturers are sure to perform just as well. Many manufacturers allow modules to be changed to open source firmware (e.g. domoticz), so we can integrate equipment from different vendors.
The use of a system of devices operating over a WiFi network, has the advantage that we can easily configure and operate them remotely from anywhere. But a simple installation using a room thermostat and a few relays will also do the job.
To begin with, a few things to keep in mind
First of all, no matter what form of temperature control you decide on, employees must be able to operate the system “hands-on.” Otherwise, as soon as problems arise, our even the most intelligent system will be dismantled and restored to its basic form. In the simplest version, an ordinary room thermostat will suffice, in the smart version it can be a control panel that communicates using a WiFi network, which will even give the possibility to operate the entire back office. It will also allow the heating to be operated remotely even when employees are not in the back office.
Another issue is the centralization of control. The more heat sources we have, the harder it is to control them. If you have three radiators in a room, they should be a group controlled from a single point. At the same time, it is necessary to remember to take into account the capabilities of our electrical system, so that switching on the heaters will not cause the lights in the nearest village to dim. This is easily solved in the function of timers available in control applications or in the simplest version through the use of DIN-rail mounted time relays.
Air conditioner with heating function, provides the most economical source of heating. If its blowing, interferes with working hours, it is worthwhile to plan the installation so that it is the main source of heat outside the hours of operation of the facilities. If we plan our installation well, we will also be able to use it in the summer, to control the operation of the air conditioning in any way we want. Both to maintain the correct temperature and to disconnect equipment when it should not be working.
It is worth controlling the energy consumption of the facilities at the level of the main connection. Nowadays you can easily purchase a remote energy meter that uses ferrite transformers and install it, without interfering with the existing installation. Such a device will allow us to monitor energy consumption over time, and give us the opportunity to collect valuable data.
Owned vs. rented containers
In the case of leased containers, the easiest way is to rely on wireless devices that we will be able to install on the next back-ups. Such devices operate in a plug-and-play form, and as long as the name of our WiFi network does not change, their installation can be limited to plugging the devices in between outlets and receivers. We can configure such devices in advance and send them to the construction site only with connection instructions. If the leased containers will be used by us in the long term, I would not shy away from slightly interfering with the electrical system and installing wired devices. It will be cheaper and, in some respects, more reliable, and it is a simple operation to restore the original condition before returning the containers. If there are any modifications, due to the terms of the lease, any changes should be discussed with the landlord, but encountering resistance is unlikely.
If you have your own containers, it’s definitely worth making changes to the electrical system and working out standardization. Installing control equipment in the container’s switchboard is a “once and done” solution. With a good installation, the only thing that will keep us busy in the years to come is briefly training new employees on how to use the app or room thermostat.
Costs
The purchase of hardware (in gross amounts) is PLN 50-100 per energy point (or group of points) depending on whether we use a simple relay control or a smart outlet controlled via WiFi. Inexpensive room thermostat 100 zł, decent control panel with color and touch lcd approx. 500 PLN. Remote energy meter approx. 500 PLN. Adding up and averaging I would assume the amount at the level of PLN 500 for one container, this is as realistic as possible. Installation and operation of the system is already more difficult to estimate, assuming the variant of simple installation, I would venture that any young engineer in the construction company is able to handle such a task.
If you are interested in implementing such solutions on your site, I will be happy to come to a meeting to learn about your expectations, propose a good solution and implement it on your backyard. Feel free to contact me.