Devices, systems and methods relating to HVAC systems that provide an implicit partition between at least two abutting environments in a defined large open space

1. A heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system comprising:

at least two separate and distinct environmental climate control devices, the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices both serving a single mixed use open space consisting essentially of a large open space having at least a first selected temperature zone abutting a second selected temperature zone;

a central uniform control unit operably connected to the at least two environmental climate control devices to control combined operation of the distinct environmental climate control devices, the central uniform control unit also operably connected to at least a first temperature sensor located in the first selected temperature zone and to a second temperature sensor located in the second selected temperature zone; wherein,

the central uniform control unit is further configured such that, based on a first selected temperature set point for the first selected temperature zone, a second selected temperature set point for the second selected temperature zone, wherein the second selected temperature set point is different from the first selected temperature set point, and on information from the first and second temperature sensors, the central uniform control unit controls combined operation of the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices to establish substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones, wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices further comprise at least one ventilation device, and the central uniform control unit controls, via the ventilation device, ventilation in the single mixed use open space to support the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones.

2. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices comprise at least one radiant heater and at least one direct fired heater.

3. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 2 wherein the central uniform control unit controls equipment staging for the direct fired heater based on information from a pressure sensor centrally located in the in single mixed use open space and operably connected to the central uniform control unit.

4. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices comprise at least one climate control heating device and at least one climate control cooling device.

5. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices comprise at least two climate control heating devices and at least one climate control cooling device.

6. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises at least one pressure sensor operably connected to the central uniform control unit such that the central uniform control unit selectively controls air pressure in the single mixed use open space to support the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones.

7. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises at least one contaminant sensor operably connected to the central uniform control unit such that the central uniform control unit selectively controls HVAC in the single mixed use open space based on information provided by the contaminant sensor.

8. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 7 wherein the contaminant comprises at least one of carbon monoxide (CO) or nitrous oxide (NOX).

9. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the first selected temperature zone having the first temperature is configured to be occupied by people and the second selected temperature zone having the second, substantially different temperature is configured to not be occupied by people.

10. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 9 wherein the system further comprises at least one occupancy sensor operably connected to the central uniform control unit.

11. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 10 wherein the central uniform control unit is configured to adjust the temperature in the first selected temperature zone when the occupancy sensor senses people in the first selected temperature zone.

12. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the large open space is at least one of a factory, a warehouse, or a distribution center.

13. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein each separate and distinct environmental climate control device of the HVAC equipment operates in stand-alone mode according to its stand-alone sequence of operations in the absence of instructions from the central uniform control unit.

14. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the central uniform control unit controls the distinct environmental climate control devices to provide outside air in quantities greater than needed solely for heating of the first and second selected temperature zones.

15. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 wherein the central uniform control unit controls equipment staging for the direct fired heaters based on a centralized pressure control.

16. A heating ventilation cooling (HV AC) system comprising:

at least two separate environmental climate control devices, the at least two separate and distinct environmental climate control devices both serving a single mixed use open space consisting essentially of a large open space having at least a first selected HVAC-controlled zone abutting a second selected HV AC-controlled zone;

a central uniform control unit operably connected to the at least two environmental climate control devices, the central uniform control unit operably connected to at least one detection device providing information about at least one HVAC-conditioned quality in the single mixed use open space; wherein,

the central uniform control unit is further configured such that, based on a first selected HVAC set point for the first selected HVAC-controlled zone, a second selected HVAC set point for the second selected HVAC-controlled zone, wherein the second selected HVAC set point is different from the first selected HV AC set point, and on information from detection device, the central uniform control unit controls combined operation of the at least two separate environmental climate control devices to establish substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected HV AC-controlled zones, wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices further comprise at least one ventilation device, and the central uniform control unit controls, via the ventilation device, ventilation in the single mixed use open space to support the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones.

17. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the HVAC-conditioned quality is temperature.

18. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the HVAC-conditioned quality is contaminant level.

19. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the at least two separate environmental climate control devices are at least two separate and distinct environmental climate control devices.

20. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the at least two separate environmental climate control devices comprise at least one radiant heater and at least one of a direct fired heater and an indirect fired heater.

21. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 20 wherein the central uniform control unit controls equipment staging for the direct fired heater or the indirect fired heater based on information from a pressure detection device centrally located in the single mixed use open space and operably connected to the central uniform control unit.

22. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the at least two separate environmental climate control devices comprise at least one climate control heating device and at least one climate control cooling device.

23. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the at least two separate environmental climate control devices comprise at least two climate control heating devices and at least one climate control cooling device.

24. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the system further comprises at least one pressure detection device operably connected to the central uniform control unit such that the central uniform control unit selectively controls air pressure in the single mixed use open space to support the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected HVAC-controlled zones.

25. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the system further comprises at least one contaminant detection device operably connected to the central uniform control unit such that the central uniform control unit selectively controls HVAC in the single mixed use open space based on information provided by the contaminant detection device.

26. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 25 wherein the contaminant comprises at least one of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), nitrous oxide (NOX), or hydrogen.

27. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the first selected HVAC-controlled zone has a first HVAC-conditioned quality configured to be occupied by people and the second selected HVAC-controlled zone has a second, substantially different HVAC-conditioned quality that is configured to not be occupied by people.

28. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 20 wherein the first selected HVAC-controlled zone has a first HVAC-conditioned quality configured to be occupied by people and the second selected HVAC-controlled zone has a second, substantially different HVAC-conditioned quality that is configured to not be occupied by people.

29. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 28 wherein the system further comprises at least one occupancy detection device operably connected to the central uniform control unit.

30. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 29 wherein the central uniform control unit is configured to adjust the temperature in the first selected HVAC-controlled zone when the occupancy detection device senses people in the first selected HVAC-controlled zone.

31. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 30 wherein the large open space is at least one of a warehouse, a shopping mall, storage facility, a distribution center, a factory or an ice rink.

32. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein each separate environmental climate control device of the HVAC equipment operates in stand-alone mode according to its stand-alone sequence of operations in the absence of instructions from the central uniform control unit.

33. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the central uniform control unit controls the separate environmental climate control devices to provide outside air in quantities greater than needed solely for heating of the first and second selected HVAC-controlled zones.

34. The heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 wherein the central uniform control unit controls equipment staging for the direct fired heaters based on a centralized pressure control.

35. A building comprising the heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 1 .

36. A method comprising manufacturing an HVAC system, the method comprising:

In a single mixed use open space consisting essentially of large open space, providing at least two separate and distinct environmental climate control devices, the two distinct environmental climate control devices configured to serve the single mixed use open space to create within the large open space of the single mixed use open space at least a first selected temperature zone abutting a second selected temperature zone;

operably connecting a central uniform control unit to the at least two environmental climate control devices, the central uniform control unit configured to control combined operation of the distinct environmental climate control devices, the central uniform control unit also operably connected to at least a first temperature sensor located in the first selected temperature zone and to a second temperature sensor located in the second selected temperature zone; wherein,

configuring the central uniform control unit such that, based on a first selected temperature set point for the first selected temperature zone, a second selected temperature set point for the second selected temperature zone, wherein the second selected temperature set point is different from the first selected temperature set point, and on information from the first and second temperature sensors, the central uniform control unit controls combined operation of the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices to establish substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones, wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices further comprise at least one ventilation device, and the central uniform control unit controls, via the ventilation device, ventilation in the single mixed use open space to support the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones.

37. A method comprising using an HVAC system comprising:

in a single mixed use open space consisting essentially of a large open space, providing the HVAC system comprising at least two separate and distinct environmental climate control devices, the two distinct environmental climate control devices configured to serve the single mixed use open space to create within the large open space of the single mixed use open space at least a first selected temperature zone abutting a second selected temperature zone, the HVAC system also comprising a central uniform control unit operably connected to at least a first temperature sensor located in the first selected temperature zone and to a second temperature sensor located in the second selected temperature zone; wherein,

configuring the central uniform control unit such that, based on a first selected temperature set point for the first selected temperature zone, a second selected temperature set point for the second selected temperature zone, wherein the second selected temperature set point is different from the first selected temperature set point, and on information from the first and second temperature sensors, the central uniform control unit controls combined operation of the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices to establish substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones, wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices further comprise at least one ventilation device, and the central uniform control unit controls, via the ventilation device, ventilation in the single mixed use open space to support the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones.

38. A method comprising establishing substantially different temperatures between a first selected temperature zone and a second selected temperature zone both located in a single mixed use open space consisting essentially of a large open space using at least two separate and distinct environmental climate control devices, the method comprising:

in the single mixed use open space, providing an HVAC system comprising at least two separate and distinct environmental climate control devices, the two distinct environmental climate control devices configured to serve the single mixed use open space to create within the large open space of the single mixed use open space the first selected temperature zone abutting the second selected temperature zone, the HVAC system also comprising a central uniform control unit operably connected to at least a first temperature sensor located in the first selected temperature zone and to a second temperature sensor located in the second selected temperature zone; wherein,

configuring the central uniform control unit such that, based on a first selected temperature set point for the first selected temperature zone, a second selected temperature set point for the second selected temperature zone, wherein the second selected temperature set point is different from the first selected temperature set point, and on information from the first and second temperature sensors, the central uniform control unit controls combined operation of the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices to establish the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones, wherein the at least two distinct environmental climate control devices further comprise at least one ventilation device, and the central uniform control unit controls, via the ventilation device, ventilation in the single mixed use open space to support the substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones.

39. A building comprising the heating ventilation cooling (HVAC) system of claim 16 .

40. A method comprising manufacturing a system according to claim 16 .

41. A method comprising using a system according to claim 16 .

42. A method comprising establishing substantially different temperatures between the first and second selected temperature zones using at least two separate environmental climate control devices according to claim 16 .