Direct Digital Control (DDC) is the foundation of every modern commercial HVAC system. The hardware — DDC controllers, sensors, actuators, VFDs, relays, and the panels that house them — is only part of the story. What separates a controls install that performs from one that limps along is whether the contractor understands the mechanical equipment underneath, the sequence of operations that's supposed to govern it, and the discipline of point-by-point commissioning before turnover. Vertex is a controls-first contractor. We install the hardware, write and load the logic, and verify every point against the spec before we hand a building over.
WHAT WE DELIVER
Panel buildout and field wiring
DDC control panels built to spec — enclosures, terminal strips, transformers, surge protection, network switches, and labeled wireways. Field wiring run in EMT and flex conduit, terminated to professional standards, and labeled at both ends.
AHU, VAV, RTU, and packaged equipment controls
Full controls install on air handlers (CHW/HHW coils, economizers, mixed-air dampers, return fans), VAV terminal units (reheat, parallel/series fan-powered), rooftop units, and packaged equipment. Discharge air, mixed air, return air, OA, CO2, occupancy, and equipment status sensing.
Chiller plant and hydronic controls
Chiller staging, condenser water and chilled water reset, primary/secondary pumping, cooling tower fan staging, bypass valve control, and plant-level optimization on top.
Sensor and actuator installation
Temperature, humidity, CO2, occupancy, pressure (static and differential), flow, current, and runtime sensing. Pneumatic, electronic, and electric actuators on dampers and valves, with full stroke verification.
Sequence of operations programming
Written sequences (your engineer's or ours, per ASHRAE Guideline 36 where applicable) implemented in the controller's programming environment. Logic blocks reusable, documented, and version-controlled.
Point-by-point commissioning
Every analog input verified against a calibration reference, every digital input toggled, every analog output stroked, every digital output cycled, and every sequence functionally tested before turnover.
HOW WE WORK
Five stages we run on every controls installation project — adjustable to your timeline, but never skipped.
Submittals and engineering
Control system drawings, sequence of operations review, points list, panel schedules, riser diagrams, and product submittals approved before we order materials.
Panel fabrication
Panels built to spec — either off-site in a controlled environment or on-site as project requirements dictate. Photo-documented and tested before installation.
Field installation
Conduit, wiring, sensor and actuator mounting, panel installation, and network terminations. Daily field reports and clean as-built red-lines.
Programming and graphics
Controllers loaded with logic, graphics built (if scope), supervisor binding, and trend / alarm configuration.
Point-to-point checkout and commissioning
Pre-functional checklists, point-to-point checkout against the points list, functional performance tests against the sequence, and turnover with documentation.
STANDARDS WE WORK TO
- ASHRAE Guideline 36-2021High-performance sequences of operation for HVAC systems. Our default reference for AHU, VAV, hydronic, and zone control sequences.
- ASHRAE Standard 135 (BACnet)The open protocol our controllers communicate on.
- NFPA 70 (NEC)Field wiring is performed per the National Electrical Code, with local AHJ inspection where required.
- ASHRAE Standard 62.1Ventilation sequences (CO2-based demand controlled ventilation, minimum OA reset) are designed against current ventilation requirements.
TYPICAL PROJECTS
GC awards the controls package. We engineer the submittal, build the panels, install the field devices, program the sequences, and commission with the CxA. Turn the building over with documented as-builts and a trained operator.
Building with 15-year-old proprietary DDC controllers, no remote access, no usable graphics. We replace controllers with modern BACnet hardware, run new wiring where needed, gateway anything we can't replace yet, and stand up a Niagara supervisor on top.
Tenant remodel — new VAV layouts, new zoning, new sequences. We install the new VAV controllers, retie sensors and thermostats, and integrate cleanly with the base-building BAS.
New rooftop unit, AHU, or chiller installed by a mechanical contractor. We provide and install the controls, integrate it with the existing BAS, and commission the new equipment into the building's sequences.
RELEVANT CASE STUDIES
Medical Office BAS Upgrade: 200,000 sq ft
Full controls retrofit of a 200,000 sq ft medical office building from proprietary DDC to Niagara N4 with BACnet integration. 32% energy reduction in year one.
Industrial Facility Energy Optimization
Chiller plant and air handling optimization for an industrial facility. Submetering, demand response, and automated sequencing delivered 38% HVAC energy reduction.