Distributed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system with concurrent network connections and multi-zone control

A system for managing control units in a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) network, comprising:

• a first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display, wherein the first control unit controls HVAC services for a first zone;
• a second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a second interactive display, wherein the second control unit controls HVAC services for a second zone;
• wherein, the first control unit is configured to:
• connect to the second control unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to create an HVAC control network;
• connect to the second control unit using a Wi-Fi network generated by a wireless access point;
• receive an installation report that indicates the second control unit controls HVAC services for the second zone in response to connecting to the second control unit;
• update the first interactive display to show the first and second zones in response to receiving the installation report;
• receive a command from the first interactive display over the HVAC control network to adjust a temperature of an identified zone;
• determine the identified zone is the second zone in response to receiving the command;
• receive an alert indicating the second control unit is disconnecting from the Wi-Fi network;
• and
• communicate the command to the second control unit using the HVAC control network in response to receiving the alert indicating the second control unit is disconnecting from the Wi-Fi network.