Building Management System is a system that controls and regulates the service and interior systems in a building. It is also referred to as Building Automation System or Direct Digital Control Systems.. Some services that it monitors are ventilation, lighting, heating, air conditioning and hydraulics. This system works by linking all the equipment and systems in the building to create an integrated system that is controlled by a network of computerized controllers. The controls will signal the equipment or system to adapt to the needs of the building and adjust to the desired settings. The most popular providers of Building Management Systems are: Cisco, Honeywell , Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric and United Technologies.
Basic Building Management System has essential components through which it controls a building. These components are:
Sensors: These include devices that are able to measure temperature, humidity, daylight, quantities of substances such as CO2, and even, it is able to measure room occupancy.
Controllers: These are the masterminds of the systems. They take the data collected from the building sensors and decide how the system will respond.
Output devices: These carry out the commands from the collector.
Communication protocols: These are protocols used to communicate to the controllers. It is almost a spoken language.
User interface: These include all the devices, such as screens or interfaces that the people use to interact with the building automation systems. The dashboard is where the building data is reported.
All the system components are hidden in the building, just as the wiring and plumbing are. They operate out of sight of the building’s occupants.
Some of the functions that a Building Management System can do are:
Setting up the lighting and HVAC systems to operate according to a certain schedule that makes those systems more intelligent and more efficient at the same time.
Optimizing the flow of incoming outside air to regulate the air freshness, temperature and comfort inside the building.
Telling you when a HVAC unit is running, either in cooling or heating, helping to reduce utility costs.
Identifying emergency situations, such as a fire breaks out. It will automatically turn off any facilities that could endanger the building’s occupants.
Detecting problems with the building’s facilities, and sends instant messages to the building’s facility manager.
Identifying entry and exit of building’s occupants to and from the building.
Turning a camera on and off. It is able to record any activity that is taking place in any particular place.
Types of Data a Building Management System collects:
A Building Management System has access to a wide range of sensor data, depending on the needs of the building and the systems installed. Temperature is one of the important information that is tracked, since it is a critical point for proper climate control. The indoor air quality is controlled to ensure the appropriate amount of external and internal air that is being exchanged. This exact same method is used to control humidity in the building structure.
When there is a problem with air quality or with the mechanical aspects of a building, the pressure and chemical sensor perform.
Motion is also data that is collected by the building management system. Alarms coming from many other parts of a building, such as power supplies, elevators or electronic doors. The data is passed along to the central controllers and sends information to all the devices to act according to their function.
A Building Management System is an excellent method to have centralized control of a building and its systems. Modern options provide some perceptions into the operations made in the building, from discovering issues in advance to optimize performance and get maximum quality of building interior systems.
Where it is used: Building Management Systems are usually installed in large offices as way to control and improve the quality of the working environment, while also reducing energy costs and consumption. Since technology has improved and become cheaper, even smaller buildings can utilize this system. For example, some homes have systems that can automatically shut off lights if a room is not being occupied, which is an example of a Building Management System.
Sustainability:
The implementation of a Building Management System can be very cost effective and sustainable. Since heating and cooling a is major factor that affects the annual cost an owner will pay for a building, this system regulates the amount of heating and cooling by controlling temperature. The system will detect areas that need to be altered and activates the necessary equipment to maintain a stable, safe and comfortable temperature in the building. This reduces the amount of energy consumption and saves money for the owner. Since the system reduces the waste of energy, LEED points and can be gained by utilizing this system.
Another sustainable aspect of this system is its influence on air quality and emissions. Building Management Systems allow for improved indoor air quality as well as reductions in emissions. Its technology allows it to control and monitor the air quality, while also using the necessary equipment or services efficiently. With healthier air quality, comes a better work environment and increased productivity of workers. According to the Advance Control Corporation, in relation to cost the use of Building Management Systems in a building can reduce the cost of equipment operating expenditures by 15%. Another beneficial system that can be controlled by the Building Management System is the smoke evaluation system. This system detects the origin of the smoke and controls its movement, so as to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the building. The system will alert all occupants and increases the overall safety of the occupants and building.
LEED Certification
A Building System Management that is well-designed and properly installed in a building can lead up to 48 points in the LEED rating systems. These system has the most impact on the Energy & Atmosphere (A&E) section of the LEED rating system. It is due to the control system that a building can achieve 22 to 26 points. The other components fulfill credits to reach up to 40 points, which is the minimum level for building certification, or even more.
Negative Aspects of BMS
While Building Management Systems have long term cost benefits, there is an issue of high initial costs. Since this systems needs data to be gathered and analyzed to function, it is very expensive. Acquiring data is expensive and requires sensors. The sensors are set to decrease in price, but according to Enertiv,this price change will not make a large difference in the cost of installing a Building Management System. The cost to install a Building Management System was as low as $2.50/sqft and as high as $7.00/sqft in 2014. Another slight disadvantage is that it must be configured perfectly. If there is a slight error in its configurations, the data will not be able to registered and utilized properly, thus defeating the purpose of this system.
Cost:
As mentioned previously the cost to install a Building Management System is between $2.50 – $7.00 per square foot. This can create a large expense when considering the whole building and usually takes around 4 years or more to get a return on investment.
Some factors that affect the cost are:
Area needed to be covered
Amount of sensors
Data
Maintenance:
Building Management Systems need sufficient maintenance and testing to continue to function at its best capabilities and provide expected quality of results. If left unmaintained it will ruin and perform poorly. Along with the system not functioning at its best, the occupants will also be negatively affected and reduce their comfortability and productivity. All equipment should be reviewed regularly by the required specialist in a detailed manner to ensure the proper functioning of each component of the equipement.
Some maintenance techniques offered by Air Services are the following:
Tailored BEMS Maintenance Packages
Remote Monitoring and Bureau Services
Alarm Rationalising and re Transmission
Planned Preventative maintenance
Data Backup Support
National Reactive Works
System Integrity Checks
24 hour emergency service Plans
Technical Help Desk
Product support and Stock holding
Durability:
In terms of durability, the Building Automation System helps control the interior systems integration. All the interior components of the building can reach certain durability due to the control system that is constantly taking care of them, especially heating, ventilation, air condition and electricity.
Regarding the durability of the system itself, it might be a challenge. A decade or two after the installation, the technology used in the system may be out of date. Since technology is advancing every single year, there is new technology with better features that will come eventually, replacing the old system. Building managers are looking for new solutions to either update the system with a new technology, or an easy way to re-install another system easily. A new strategy must be a priority in order to address this eventuality.
Code requirements:
Building management systems must conform to Construction Specifications Institute requirements found: in section 23 09 23 Direct-Digital Control Systems for HVAC. Some of the requirements deal with:
The system used
The server hardware
The controllers
Method of server communication
The user interface
Installation, testing and protection
Building Management Systems in Canada
A Building Management System is located all across UBC campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a modern university that has incorporated these system of computer-based controller in their campus. It is a critical component of UBC’s energy efficiency and conservation efforts.
The system primarily controls the HVAC equipment in order to maintain the temperature and air flow set points of most of the rooms throughout each building. They are controlled by sensors that allows these components to be modified. The Building Management System provides real-time conditions of the environment at UBC, therefore it is easier to control every single system and give instant feedback.
UBC has incorporated the control systems from merchants such as Siemens, Delta/ESC and Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI). The building management system network consists of approximately 4,700 Siemens controllers, 1,430 Delta/ESC controllers and 1,260 Johnson controllers.
it is true that adequating a huge quantity of controllers in a building could be costly, however the impact of it across the campuses, and the energy efficiency it provides by managing every system in every building, bring more environmental benefits to the whole UBC community. The number one priority is energy saving. Due to the systems, it is able to estimate building’s occupancy. Researchers use this information to only heat and cool rooms when they’re occupied. They are able to manage the amount energy delivered to each room and reduce the overall energy consumption on campus.