Energy
Savings And Increased Comfort Through Automation
A
Building Automation System is computer controlled system that
can perform many functions that were not available with conventional control
systems. Although a BAS can be used to control many building operations
such as security, lighting, fire alarm, etc, the area with the quickest Return
On Investment is the control of HVAC systems.
According to the US Department Of Energy, 40% of the energy used in a typical
commercial building is consumed by the HVAC systems. A properly designed BAS
system can significantly reduce the amount of energy that HVAC systems consume.Building
Automation Systems provide computerized control of HVAC systems in a precise
and economical manner.
With a BAS installed, any function of the system (air temp, amp draw,
etc.) can be monitored, and many of those functions can be adjusted from anywhere
with a computer. The system can also record information (such as room temperature)
in any increments over any period of time.
The system can easily be programmed to send an alarm to a pager or other device
if acceptable conditions are deviated from. For example, you may want the system
to send out an alarm if the temperature in a computer room exceeds a desired
level; or you may want it to send out an alarm only if it exceeds the desired
level for a period of time. It's all easily programmable. More examples of BAS
functions are in our FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions)
section.
What a "bare bones" BAS will look like: The conventional
wall thermostats are replaced with wall mounted room temperature sensors. A
control module is mounted in each hvac unit or depending on the type of hvac
unit, multiple units may share a module. And finally, one communication module
with a modem is mounted somewhere within the building. All of these devices
are connected together with communication cable. The modem is connected to
a phone line and a communication cable is connected from the communication
device to a local PC (computer) and/or an internet connection.
The system is programmed using a computer and any program changes would be
performed from a computer either on site, or by dialing-in from any remote
location, or from any internet connection anywhere in the world. A computer
would also be used to receive and manipulate any data reported from the modules,
such as trending, etc. Then any data and any alarms can be delivered to anyone
via e-mail (see FAQ).
Adding on to the "bare bones" system: Rarely would
a "bare bones" system be installed; a few more sensors are needed
to get the full advantage of the BAS. Additional sensors that are typical with
most of our systems would read outdoor air temp., supply air temp., return air
temp., compressor amp draw, fan motor amp draw, total building current draw,
and in many cases indoor & outdoor humidity. And there are many other data
points that can be monitored if desired, such as compressor operating pressures,
etc. All of this data is used by the control modules to control the hvac equipment
efficiently and to report any operating condition that is out of normal range.
All of the data can be accessed and easily read with a computer.
If this sounds somewhat confusing, it is probably just because we tried to sum
up a complete BAS in only 3 paragraphs. Please contact
us with any questions; we will be happy to provide as much detail as you
care to hear.
