Sensors are an integral part of most heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) systems — helping to not only maintain a comfortable indoor climate but also to increase the efficiency of the HVAC systems. They also enable integration of HVAC systems with building automation systems.
Traditional HVAC systems used pressure and temperature sensors and switches to control basic operations of the system such as turning it on or off or for opening or closing valves or vents. As HVAC systems have had to become far more efficient, there has been a comparable need and push for much finer control of the various subsystems. This has led to advances such as variable refrigerant flow, variable speed motors and blowers, electronic expansion valves, and many other control methodologies to finely tune the system and minimize the overall energy use.