Remote Tools to Manage Comfort and Equipment From Anywhere

Automotive Dealership

Mixed-use Building

HVAC Management

~20%

Reduction in HVAC runtime across the facility

Improved

Staff comfort across mechanic bays and offices

Early

Detection of equipment issues and power anomalies

THE CHALLENGE

Dealership staff had almost no tools to manage aging HVAC equipment across a complex, mixed-use building which included mechanic bays with large garage doors, private offices, and customer-facing areas all in one. With limited technical knowledge onsite and no equipment data available, frustration with comfort and reliability was high.

Flexible Hardware for Complex Spaces

The dealership's building presented specific challenges. In the mechanic bays, large garage doors opened and closed frequently, constantly importing outside air. In staff offices, thermostats were poorly positioned so the temperatures driving HVAC decisions didn't reflect what staff actually experienced.

Cognition Smart Commercial Controls were compatible with the dealership's varied HVAC equipment, and wireless sensors were installed in problem areas to improve temperature accuracy, improving comfort while reducing unnecessary equipment runtime.

Control That's Actually Usable

Using Cognition's web-based Dashboard and flexible permissions model, staff can now manage comfort and equipment settings from their desktop — without needing to be in front of a thermostat. All override activity is logged automatically, making it easy to identify problem patterns.

Cognition Intelligence also auto-limits override durations to prevent runaway comfort adjustments from undermining energy savings. The result: improved comfort alongside a ~20% reduction in HVAC runtime and lower utility bills.

Control That's Actually Usable

Within weeks of installation, Cognition's runtime and temperature analytics began surfacing issues that had previously gone undetected:

  • Capacity limits on aging equipment — older units struggling to reach setpoints during warm weather, helping the dealership prioritize where to invest in upgrades
  • Equipment degradation signals — early indicators of units requiring service, before failures occurred
  • Isolated power surges — an ongoing pattern that helped the dealership's electrician diagnose and fix an underlying electrical issue
  • Preventive maintenance reminders — automated air filter change notifications to stay ahead of performance degradation

All alerts and reminders are auto-documented in the Dashboard's Equipment Notes, giving the dealership a running maintenance log shared with their HVAC service provider.

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