Affordable Thermostat Retrofits: Analog to Digital in 30 Minutes

This Cypress Envirosystems' Wireless Pneumatic Thermostat replaced the old thermostat (lower left) allowing remote control and monitoring of building temperatures at a fraction of the cost of direct digital controls. Photo: Cypress Envirosystems

Replacing manual thermostats in commercial buildings with digital controls is usually expensive and invasive, but new technology costs far less and can be installed in less than a half hour.
Digital controls are a great idea
Pneumatic thermostats have been around for more than 100 years, and are still used in about 70% of existing commercial buildings, according to David Roberts, director of marketing at Cypress Envirosystems, maker of the Wireless Pneumatic Thermostat (WPT). As robust as pneumatic thermostats are, replacing them with digital controls allows you to program setpoints that determine when the HVAC system turns on and off (such as lowering the temperature at night), and you can remotely control and manage the temperatures in rooms, hallways, or zones.  Digital controls are also powerful commissioning tools that can diagnose equipment malfunctions and help simplify repairs. They will save energy, money, and wear-and-tear on equipment.