Our Industry
Maximizing Efficiency: The Power of a Connected BAS
CLIENT CHALLENGES IN 2023
In 2023, clients are facing a range of challenges. These include staying ahead of the curve in terms of decarbonization and reporting to avoid fines while maintaining budgets. They’re also tackling the ongoing issue of breaking free from the cycle of playing catch-up with facility maintenance. They are dealing with daily fire drills in crisis management rather than focusing on preventative maintenance and system upgrades. What do these challenges have in common? The lack of a properly functioning Building Automation System (BAS) that integrates with operations.
WHY DO BAS SYSTEMS POSE CHALLENGES FOR BUILDING MANAGEMENT?
A building’s automation system often proves to be a weakness for effective building management. Restricted access due to proprietary systems, lack of documentation, outdated programming, inadequate data storage, obsolete software versions, and malfunctioning actuators and sensors all create barriers that impede the efficient use of a BAS. And, in turn, the overall management of the building. A poorly functioning BAS significantly strains building engineers, leading to predictable and consistent outcomes: facilities operating well below their potential with significant added costs.
THE SOLUTION: REVITALIZING THE BAS
The key to addressing these challenges is revitalizing the BAS. Consider the BAS as the backbone for solving fundamental operational issues and future analytics and smart building capabilities. Revitalizing the BAS involves evaluating what’s currently working (what stays) and what needs to change (what goes). The focus is on creating a stable, future-proofed foundation. This means establishing networked communications for existing and new systems within the communications network, creating a connected BAS.
THE BENEFITS OF A CONNECTED BAS
A connected BAS offers significant advantages. It supports fault detection, which is an improvement from simple alarms and serves as the foundation for monitoring-based commissioning (MBC). MBC drives corrective actions from trends rather than providing instantaneous equipment status. This allows building management to address malfunctions by asking, “Is the root cause fixed?” This approach frees up substantial maintenance time and ultimately reduces operational costs and capital degradation.
Furthermore, a connected BAS facilitates the integration of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, particularly for energy optimization. These platforms absorb data from various sources, including building, occupancy, weather, and utility data, as well as other information streams. Integrating the BAS with a robust database and analytics platform makes insights and optimization for energy consumption, equipment performance, and occupant comfort possible.
In addition, these platforms provide building owners and managers with customized, automated reporting. This provides visibility into essential operational metrics, energy usage, and maintenance needs. As a result, building owners and managers have created the foundation for advanced performance, enabling proactive decision-making, streamlined capital planning, and improved occupant experience. To learn more about the benefits of these platforms, as well as our smart building experience and the services we offer, please click here.
