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THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF REFRIGERATION, AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING

DA28
BUILDING MANAGEMENT
AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
(BMCS)

APPLICATION MANUAL
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

Preface
Controls and control systems are fundamental to how a building works and how individual building systems
or services operate. Just as the information and technology revolution has changed all aspects of our personal
and work lives, so the rapid development of digital controls has changed all aspects of how modern buildings
and their systems work. Just as many people find it difficult to keep up with the latest functionality of their word
processing, project management or teleconferencing software, so professionals, managers and technicians within
the building industry, find it difficult to keep up with the latest functionality and capability of digital controls
and building management and control system (BMCS).

Building management and control systems are not items that can be taken out of a box and plugged into
a building. Rather they are the brain of the building that must be connected to all of the senses (sensors and
monitors) and all of the muscles (equipment, motors, actuators), before the BMCS is considered truly formed.

This application manual is intended to help building practitioners understand and manage BMCS and
building controls generally. It highlights things to consider when scoping a control system; what do we want
the system to do, what do we want people to do with the system. Things to consider when designing a system;
what building services need to be integrated, the pros and cons of integration, what trend logs should be specified,
why and how to set up and manage alarms, the level of complexity of the building services and how the BMCS
can be used to assist building managers to better manage their buildings. Things to consider when procuring
a system; how do we choose a supplier, how to integrate equipment from multiple suppliers, what information
needs to be provided to a supplier. Things to consider when installing a system; installation standards, cables
and supports, controllers and field devices and the all important system documentation. Things to consider
when commissioning BMCS; what’s involved and how to go about it, pre-commissioning, commissioning
all levels, fine tuning and recommissioning.

This application manual also looks at controls in the operational phase of a buildings life. Monitoring the
building and its systems using the controls, managing the control system including its set points and control
logic, maintaining control system components as well as mechanical plant, considering opportunities for fine
tuning both individual systems and entire buildings.

Controls and BMCS are becoming an increasingly important tool for managing the energy use and operating
efficiency of a building. Key performance indicators, benchmarks, monitoring measurement and verification
are all issues that are closely related to control systems. This manual also offers a series of recommended or
sample control routines that can be applied to common building services, air handling units, chillers, boilers,
pumps and fans for robust and energy efficient outcomes. Practical information on common control pitfalls,
on items that BMCS graphics screens should include, on metering building inputs and monitoring those meters,
and on evaluating controls tenders, is also provided in a series of appendices.

AIRAH offer this publication to help define and standardise the way that control systems are developed,
outline the critical issues, and promote a common language. This application manual will be essential
reading for all involved with developing, designing, procuring, installing, integrating and managing
buildings and building control systems.

Vince Aherne
Editor

This manual is supported by:

This manual is endorsed by the Building Automation & Controls Contractors Association:

The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (Inc.) •••
Level 3, 1 Elizabeth Street Melbourne Victoria Australia • Tel +61 3 8623 3000 1
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

Intent The assistance of the following people

is very much appreciated:
This document is one of a series of Application n Vincent Aherne M.AIRAH
Manuals prepared to assist mechanical engineering
designers and maintenance engineers with their n Dr Paul Bannister M.AIRAH
day-to-day tasks. This manual seeks to set down
n Martin Bruekers M.AIRAH
knowledge of the art and current practice in the design,
installation, operation and maintenance of building n Graham Carter M.AIRAH
management and control systems. The document
will also be of use to all those engaged in regulating, n Peter Claffey M.AIRAH
planning, design, construction, operation, servicing
n Jon Clarke (Chair) M.AIRAH
and management of buildings and HVAC&R systems.
n James Hattam

n Dr Gerard Healey Affil.AIRAH

Review and Revision n Mark Henderson M.AIRAH

In order to assist the preparation of new Application n Lasath Lecamwasam M.AIRAH

Manuals, and particularly to assist with the periodic
n James Linton M.AIRAH
review and revision of manuals already issued, users
are encouraged to make known their experience in n Stephen Logan
using the Application Manuals and to notify any additional
information which they can provide or to which reference n Barry May
can be made. This information should be forwarded n Bruce Precious M.AIRAH
to the National office of AIRAH.
n Bryon Price M.AIRAH

n Glen Tatam M.AIRAH

Acknowledgements n Dr Josh Wall M.AIRAH

This is the first edition of DA28 Building Management n Gary Walsh

and Control Systems (BMCS). n Phil Wilkinson M.AIRAH
This edition of the Application Manual was reviewed n Barry Wormald M.AIRAH
by the industry and edited by a review panel prior
to publication. AIRAH wishes to acknowledge the The development of other documents in this series
many people who have contributed to the preparation was only made possible by a co-operative decision
of the document by way of technical development made in 1972 between the Australian Federal Government
or review and comment. through the then Department of Works and AIRAH.

Disclaimer
The information or advice contained in this document is intended for use only by persons who have had adequate technical training in the field to which the
Application Manual relates. The document has been compiled as an aid only and the information or advice should be verified before it is put to use by any
person. The user should also establish the applicability of the information or advice in relation to any specific circumstances. While the information or advice
is believed to be correct the Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating Inc., its officers, employees and agents disclaim responsibility
for any inaccuracies contained within the document including those due to any negligence in the preparation and publication of the said document.

©AIRAH 2011
Design and layout: Artifishal Studios
ISBN 978-0-949436-50-4
••• 140 Johnston St, Fitzroy Victoria 3065
2 n First edition published June 2011 Tel: 03 9417 7420 | www.artifishal.com.au
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

Mechanical Engineering Services Application Manual — Building management and control systems (BMCS)
Editor: V J Aherne BSc(Hons)Eng, MEnvMgt, Dip BSEng, Cert. Eng, M AIRAH

Contents
1. Scope and introduction 5 3.11. Information storage 17

1.1. Introduction 5 3.12. Information management 17

1.2. Scope 5 3.13. Design principles 17

1.3. Purpose 5 3.14. System specification and functionality 17

1.4. Application 6 3.15. Open systems 17

3.16. Technology lifecycle 18

2. Controls, an overview 7
3.17. Monitoring and metering 18
2.1. The controls imperative 7
3.18. System management 19
2.2. Stakeholders in building controls 8
3.19. Energy optimisation strategies 19
2.3. Benefits of control systems 9

2.4. Risks of control systems 9 4. Intelligent buildings 21

2.5. Limitations of control systems 10 4.1. Scope of section 21

2.6. Balancing need with complexity 11 4.2. Integrated control systems 21

2.7. Occupant interfaces 12 4.3. User interactive controls 22

2.8. Intelligent buildings 12 4.4. Automated fault detection and diagnostics 23

2.9. The business case for controls 12 4.5. Building IT backbone 25

4.6. Wireless components and systems 26

Building
3.  management
and control systems (BMCS) 13 4.7. Integrating BIM with BMCS 27

3.1. BMCS defined 13 5. Implementing

3.2. Demarcation of bmcs and essential services 13 a control system 29

3.3. BMCS topology 13 5.1. The implementation process 29

3.4. DDC controllers defined 14 6. Briefing, scoping,

3.5. Network communications defined 15 and engaging 31

3.6. Web based systems and remote monitoring 15 6.1. The briefing and procurement process 31

3.7. Information gathering 16 6.2. Project operating requirements (POR) 31

3.8. Trend logs 16 6.3. Scoping 31

3.9. Information reporting 16 6.4. Functionality and capability 32

•••
3.10. Alarms 16 6.5. Procuring control systems 35 3
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

6.6. Selecting suppliers or contractors 35 9.5. System tuning (initial) 54

6.7. Long-term considerations 36 9.6. Recommissioning 54

System
7.  design 10. Operation
and specification 37 and maintenance 55

7.1. The design and specification process 37 10.1. Transition from construction to operation 55

7.2. Converting por into bod 37 10.2. Training 55

7.3. Developing a control strategy 37 10.3. System documentation 56

7.4. Checking designs 40 10.4. Monitoring operations 57

7.5. Preparing specifications 41 10.5. Enforcing policy 59

7.6. Control system specification 42 10.6. Maintenance 59

7.7. Reviewing the specification 46 10.7. System fine tuning 60

7.8. Integrating system components 46 10.8. Building tuning (ongoing) 61

10.9. System management 62

8. Installing control systems 47
10.10. Post occupancy evaluation 62
8.1. The installation process 47
10.11. Performance review 62
8.2. Reviewing installation documentation 47
10.12. Recommissioning 62
8.3. Installation standards and regulations 47
10.13. Upgrades 62
8.4. Equipment documentation 47

8.5. Cable specifications 47 Appendices 63

8.6. Cable routing 47
Appendix A
8.7. Fixings and supports 48
Controls fundamentals 63
8.8. Building penetrations 48 Appendix B
8.9. Power supplies 48 HVAC control routines 67

8.10. Data cables 48 Appendix C

Common control pitfalls 92
8.11. Network wiring 48
Appendix D
8.12. Identification of cables and components 48
BMCS Graphics screens 98
8.13. Controllers and field devices 49
Appendix E
8.14. Installing sensors and input devices 49 Notes on metering and monitoring 105
8.15. Managing interoperability 49 Appendix F
8.16. System documentation 49 Evaluating controls tenders 112

8.17. Installation checks 49 Appendix G

The business case for controls 114
9. System commissioning 51
Appendix H
9.1. BMCS validation process 51
Acronyms 116
9.2. Pre-commissioning 51
Appendix I
9.3. Commissioning 51 Resources 117
••• 9.4. Commissioning records 52
4
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

1 Scope and Introduction

1.1. Introduction The best practice approach to the implementation
of building control systems involves:
Welcome to the AIRAH Application Manual on automatic • A complete understanding of the system
controls for buildings and heating, ventilating, air functional needs.
conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems.
• A well defined design narrative explaining the function,
Controls are an increasingly important consideration in performance and control routines or philosophy.
new building design and existing building renovation • Fully specified requirements for the system including
because of direct links to building performance and energy
long term operation and maintenance objectives.
management, commissioning and retrocommissioning,
operation and maintenance and broader links to building • Good communication between owners, designers
sustainability, building health and safety, and ultimately and controls providers.
building satisfaction and productivity. • Integrated installation and testing techniques.
The operation and control of environmental systems in • Good system documentation.
buildings is a critical activity in terms of operating costs,
• Commissioning, including training.
environmental footprint, occupant comfort, and indoor
environment quality. The operation of many building • Ongoing monitoring and tuning.
systems is suboptimal and the performance of these
systems can improve with better control strategies.
Efficient buildings need efficient controls. 1.3. Purpose
This Application Manual provides an overview of the The primary purpose of this Application Manual is to
entire controls story from first principles and fundamentals standardise and promote best practice within the controls
to initial concept through design and installation to industry.
operation, maintenance and eventually upgrade and
This Application Manual has the following purposes:
retrocommissioning. There is a focus on electronic direct
digital control (DDC) systems and components associated • Outline a best practice approach to controls design,
with building management and control systems (BMCS), installation, commissioning, and operation with the
but also recognition that many designs include hybrid ultimate goal of improving building performance
control systems that also incorporate pneumatic, hydraulic and sustainability.
or electric control components.
• Promote a basic understanding of control
This Application Manual begins with first principles and fundamentals for non technical stakeholders such
examines some of the fundamentals of building controls, as building owners and managers.
why we have controls, why we control building services, • Discuss the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders
and who are we controlling them for. It then addresses the in the controls implementation process.
issues around implementing a controls system for a project
including, scoping and briefing, designing and specifying, • Provide user friendly technical information on controls
installing and commissioning continuing through to for designers and system installers, particularly those
handover, operation and maintenance. new to the industry or recently graduated building
professionals.

1.2. Scope • Promote the early consideration of control design and

integration of systems into project delivery schedules.
This Application Manual outlines a generic process • Improve the consideration given to controls issues
for the design and implementation of control systems throughout the building and systems lifecycles.
for buildings. This Application Manual also includes
specific detailed and technical information relating • Improve levels of communication and integration in
to control systems for HVAC&R and related services the design and installation of DDC and BMCS.
as they are applied to buildings. • Promote building efficiency and sustainability through
improved control system design, installation, operation,
The principles and processes outlined in this Application
and maintenance.
Manual can be applied to any control system and to any •••
building type or size. • Improve the uptake of best practice control techniques. 5
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

1.4. Application
Depending on the reader’s requirements and area of
interest, reading this Application Manual from front to
back may not be the most effective way to extract the
required information. Table 1.1 provides a guide to the
application of the various sections and appendices of this
Application Manual, and directs readers and stakeholders
in controls to where they may find the information most
relevant to their fields of interest.

Sections 1 to 4 provide an overview of controls.

Where users wish to go deeper into the subject, sections
5 through 9 provide more detail on the control system
implementation processes, while the appendices contain
detailed technical information, particularly with regard to
HVAC&R applications. Section 10 deals with the operational
and maintenance aspects.

A list of the acronyms used in this application manual

is provided for reference in Appendix H.

Table 1.1 APPLICATION OF DA28

Stakeholder Sections of most relevance

Building owners and developers 2, 3, 4, 6 and 10
Construction and project managers 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9
Facility managers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10
Designers and contractors All
Controls vendors and integrators All
Tenants and occupants 2 and 10
Maintenance service providers 2, 3, 4 and 10

Topic Location
Control strategy 7.3, 7.6.2, 10.3.6, Appendix A
Control routines 7.3.2, 8.17, 9.3.6, Appendices A, B and C
Occupant controls 2.7, 4.3
Interoperability (open systems) 3.15, 6.4.2, 7.6.11, 7.6.12, Appendix A
BMCS graphics 4.4.5, 6.4.4, 7.6.4, 9.3.8, Appendix D
Trending 3.8, 3.11, 6.4.9, 7.6.5, 9.5, 10.4.2, 10.6.1
Alarms 3.10, 3.12, 4.4, 6.4.5, 6.4.7, 7.6.6, Appendix D
BMCS reports 3.9, 7.6.6, 10.6.1
System tuning 9.5, 10.7, 10.8
Commissioning 7.4.1, 7.6.13, 7.7, Section 9, 10.3.7
System documentation 7.3, 7.4.1, 7.6.15, 8.2, 8.16, 9.4, 10.3, 10.9.3
••• Monitoring and metering 3.17, 6.4.8, 10.4, Appendix E
6
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

2 Controls, an overview
2.1. The controls imperative We also control all of the add-on systems such
as renewable energy, co- or tri-generation systems,
The first point in the controls story is to look at the history telecommunication systems, IT systems. Any system
of control systems and the fundamental control questions that provides a functional requirement within
that are raised as a result. the building can be and needs to be controlled.

The first building control system was called a “building Fire and smoke detection and control systems are stand
caretaker” who often lived on site and started, opened alone systems, which may tell the building management
and operated the building, paid attention to tenants and control system its status, but should never be
complaints and the weather, ordered fuel, engaged integrated as a functional component of the overall BMCS.
required contractors, and closed and secured the building
when it was not occupied. Their primary role was to
maintain the owner’s asset value and assure tenant
2.1.3. What are controls?
satisfaction, which would ensure ongoing income Essentially controls are systems that turn other equipment
from the asset. on or off and up or down. Light switches are controls;
taps are controls. In a car, the steering wheel, the
Hence they were responsible for security, lighting, accelerator, and the brakes are the primary controls. In
mechanical services, lifts, faults, maintenance, billing buildings we use sensors and controllers, switches and
and utility payments, and provided manual control dials, computers, and algorithms to control equipment.
of building systems. Modern buildings are filled with automatic controls;
swipe cards for security, motion sensors and switches
2.1.1. Why do we control? for the lights, temperature sensors for the air conditioning.
All of these sensors are connected to systems that are
There are many reasons why we control things in buildings.
making decisions, open a door, turn on a light, start a fan.
Building control is applied to replace the manual functions
Systems that are communicating with each other,
of the caretaker, to assure comfort and security, to save
energy and reduce consumption, to reduce the need for with the building, and with us.
manual input, to enable things to happen when we are not
around or in locations that are difficult to access, to make 2.1.4. What controls do?
things quieter, to make things safer, to make operating
Controls monitor and adjust, they schedule and alarm.
systems simpler, or to comply with legislation. Control
Controls, at their most fundamental, turn equipment
systems give us flexibility and choices. As we become
on and off and adjust the output of operating systems.
accustomed to making these choices, our expectations
rise. As we become accustomed to building systems A control system measures the value of the variable that
responding to our desires we demand that they do so an engineering system is trying to maintain within a
faster and more accurately. The best way to make building specified range. If the variable is outside of the desired
systems more responsive is to control them better. range, the control system changes the settings of the
engineering system to bring the variable back into
Modern systems offer the promise of more precise control the desired operating range.
and better system outcomes and satisfaction. Controls
means scheduling with programmable time clocks that Controls ensure the safe operation of a system or building
never forget. Controls means operating a system that is and act to achieve and maintain a nominated specific
constantly working at its optimum performance point. condition within the space or process being controlled.
Controls means self monitoring systems that can alert They measure and adjust system variables such as
us when all is not well. Controls means being in control. temperature, pressure, and flow to alter the system
output and maintain the specified condition.
2.1.2. What do we control? They don’t only control equipment; they also monitor
Control systems normally control a process or a load, either the performance of systems. Controls can monitor the
one or many. In the building context, it may be easier to data they are given, they can store that data, manipulate
ask what we are not controlling. Controls impact so many and trend it, they can benchmark data against any given
different aspects of building operations. What we are criteria. What was the power bill for our chiller last month,
controlling? HVAC systems, fire and life safety systems, how does that compare to the power bill from this month,
power systems, lighting systems, elevators and escalators, or from last year? Controls can be designed to provide this •••
security and access systems, and water supply systems. information in detailed graphical form for analysis. 7
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

2.1.5. How to control? 2.2.1. Owners and managers

The first step is to prioritise systems for control. Safety or Building owners and managers want controls to save
process critical systems take precedence, second are those money, minimise occupant complaints, improve energy
systems that consume the most energy such as cooling, efficiency, and reduce energy consumption whilst
heating and lighting systems. maintaining internal environmental conditions which
ultimately can add value to the building asset. In particular,
The next step is to define what we are controlling, e.g. they want controls to have a long and reliable service life.
indoor temperature or outdoor airflow rates. The next is A primary focus for owners and managers is for controls
to design the control system. A control system generally to facilitate building and tenant management, including
consists of a sensor, a controller and a controlled device. central or remote control and monitoring capabilities,
The sensor determines the current state of the control automatic alarming, fault diagnosis, and integrated
variable; the controlled device effects the required change, maintenance and operation.
however it is within the controller where the control
decisions are really made. Appendix A provides a brief Building owners and managers need control systems
overview of how control systems work and some of the to be flexible and robust, they need buildings with good
terminology used when discussing controls. indoor environment quality (IEQ), and they need reliability
and security built into their systems.
2.1.6. Who is controlling? In order to best achieve these outcomes, owners and
Identifying who is controlling a system is not as clear managers need to define the operating requirements
as it may first seem. Building operators are controlling for the system, to inform designers exactly what they
systems, sitting at a BMCS operator interface or a remote want the system to do. Designers will consider alternatives
desktop computer, adjusting set points and scheduling based on the specified system operating requirements,
plant and system operating times, monitoring the systems so considering the required functionality early in the
performance and energy use, responding to faults process and clearly communicating this to the design
and alarms. team is a most important role for the owner or manager.

In certain circumstances the building occupants can

also control systems by manipulating the controls available 2.2.2. Occupiers and tenants
to them such as temperature set points, light and shade Occupants and tenants are interested in the functionality
levels, and task ventilation levels. of the system and the interactive control points available
to them. They want comfort, individual control, an effective
Building maintenance and service personnel are also response from the system, and an effective management
controlling systems to some extent. Implementing set response to system faults or complaints. Occupants want
points or changes to set points, updating, or altering system responsiveness, reliability and accuracy.
control logic are all ways in which the control system
is itself controlled. Occupants and tenants need their health and safety
requirements fulfilled, they need comfort conditions
2.1.7. Who is affected? to be maintained, and they need the building to meet
their functional needs.
Buildings have a variety of end users including occupants,
visitors, and facility staff. All building occupants are Occupant and tenant considerations including building use
affected by the operation of controls. Their health, safety and proposed activities should be used to inform controls
and comfort and the functionality of the building that design decisions at the very early stages of the project.
they occupy are all directly affected by the control systems.

Owners and managers are also affected. Controls can 2.2.3. Manufacturers, suppliers
affect the building sale or rental value. The cost of system and contractors
operation in both energy and time, the flexibility of the
Manufacturers, suppliers and contractors want to sell
system for future changes, and tenant billing options are
control systems and components; that is their business.
all ways in which the building controls can affect owners.
They want the systems they provide to be competitive
Maintenance providers are also affected. The level of system and successful with limited call backs and failures.
diagnostics, the trending and storage capabilities of the
Manufacturers, suppliers, and contractors need the
system, the data management aspects, all can have an effect
controls systems they provide to work reliably. They
on the maintenance management and strategies adopted.
also need to remain skilled and informed in a rapidly
developing technical field.
2.2. Stakeholders
Training and skills development is a significant
in building controls responsibility for this group. Addressing integration
There are many actors in the controls story. All stakeholders and interoperability issues within systems is also a prime
••• have different wants and needs and all have a role to play responsibility as well as facilitating pre-commissioning
8 if buildings are to be controlled and operated efficiently. or factory bench testing.
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

2.2.4. Designers and installers • Enable integration with demand management

requirements of the smart energy grid.
Designers want their designs realised. They want system
interoperability to provide greater choices and improved • Reduce water use.
integration. They want the final installation to meet the • Reduce building operator time and costs,
design intent and the building operational requirements. and enable remote monitoring and access.

Designers need to specify control systems accurately and • Ensure that all building systems are fully integrated.
comprehensively, installers need to be able understand the • Improve indoor environment quality (IEQ), leading
design specifications. Both need a good understanding to potential productivity improvements.
of controls technology and both need to meet client • Ensure compliance with OH&S
expectations, particularly in regard to reliability and and essential services regulations.
maintainability, and both need to ensure that control
interfaces are user friendly. • Ensure compliance with building energy
efficiency regulations.
Designers and installers are ultimately responsible for • Monitoring, trending, and analytical capabilities
the system design parameters such as set points, sensor for building performance and data.
accuracy, system responsiveness, and control sequencing.
• Highlight maintenance issues and integrate
Designers are responsible for documenting not only the
computerised maintenance management.
design but also the correct operation and maintenance of
the systems. Installers are responsible for turning a detailed • Extend equipment service life.
design into a well functioning system that delivers the • Maintain asset logs and subsequently, asset values.
required performance.
Controls can provide benefits to owners, operators,
and occupiers. Reduction in energy use also has wider
2.3. Benefits of environmental and community benefits. Appropriately
control systems designed and operated control systems can reduce energy
use and improve performance, enhancing sustainability
It is unlikely that a modern building could operate safely outcomes for buildings and their systems.
and efficiently without controls. Some level of control is
essential for all building systems but the benefits available
will depend on the functionality of the control system.
2.4. Risks of
Control systems that are designed and operated correctly, control systems
with well defined functional requirements will generally:
There are also potential risks associated with implementing
• Create and maintain a functional and comfortable and operating building control systems. If these risks can
indoor environment, maintaining good thermal be identified early in the design/procurement process
comfort and indoor air quality. many can be mitigated.
• Minimise human manual intervention
in daily operations. Risk of improper scope – It is important to consider
the consequences and impacts of early design decisions.
• Allow systems and buildings to operate For instance, specifying very tight tolerances for indoor
with discrete functional zones. environmental conditions may result in an unnecessarily
• Ensure that systems only operate when required. complex or expensive control system that may not have
been required for more realistic temperature tolerances.
• Ensure that systems operate safely and efficiently.
• Ensure that systems are integrated with the building Risks of no or improper control – Just having a control
and with each other. system does not automatically mean that the desired
control is achieved. Controls must be functional and
• Provide feedback data for monitoring performance, appropriate. The design and intent of control systems can
benchmarking energy efficiency, and planning fail to transfer successfully through the installation phase.
or scheduling maintenance. Successfully implemented systems can fail due to improper
operating or maintenance due to lack of training. Control
Control systems can be further enhanced to generate
systems need to be regularly assessed for functionality
the following benefits:
and performance.
• Integrate multiple building systems onto one
operating platform for lower infrastructure Risk of inadequate commissioning – Commissioning is
and management costs. essential for control systems. The potential for installation
and start up errors for complex control systems is high.
• Integrate a portfolio of buildings under
Systems that are not fully and competently commissioned
a single management and control system. will not deliver the functionality that they were designed
• Optimise system operation and reduce to deliver. Commissioning addresses many of the risks •••
or minimise energy use. associated with implementing control systems, including 9
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

design and installation defects which are detected early in in failure to comply with ventilation codes, breach of
the delivery process. Commissioning also facilitates training workplace standards, failure to comply with essential
and good system documentation and knowledge transfer. services requirements, and failure to meet energy standards
all of which may have the consequence of exposing the
Controls systems and their components are also subject stakeholder to financial loss and potential litigation.
to drift over time. Systems need to be recommissioned
periodically and a formal recommissioning plan should
be in place. 2.5. Limitations of
Risk of scale and complexity – Controls can be as control systems
simple as a switch or as complex as a fully integrated
building management and control system. It is important Controls, and particularly electronic or microprocessor
that systems are kept as simple as possible to achieve based items, are highly functional and the technology is
the required goal. The scale and complexity of the control constantly being updated and improved. However, there
system should be appropriate to the building and its are limiting factors to be considered when designing
operation. Given the enormous range of capabilities and installing control systems. Failure to consider these
of control systems, there is a possibility that systems limitations may lead to severe functional deficiencies
are designed to be more complex than their functionality within the final control system. Limitations sometimes
requires. Complex systems are more susceptible to errors associated with control systems can include the following:
and those errors tend to be more difficult to diagnose. Poor design – Controls cannot make up for poor design.
Complex controls may be difficult to operate and maintain
If a system is oversized or poorly designed no amount of
and designers should aim to keep systems as simple
complexity or number of control components will make
as possible.
up for that systems design inefficiencies. Controls can be
Complex goals may not necessarily require complex applied to mask or mitigate inadequate system design,
systems. The simplest control system available that meets but can rarely fix the underlying design problems.
the needs of the owner, operator, and occupant should
Poor installation – Controls are susceptible to poor
generally be used. Simple systems can be reliable
installation. Systems are very sensitive to installation
and low cost.
factors, location of sensors, environmental conditions,
Risk of poor interoperability – Control systems are made installation methods and practices can all have an effect
up of many individual components and it is important on the overall functionality of the system.
when designing and building systems to ensure that
Integration – Controls are not plug and play line items.
each component is well matched to the system and its
Individual control components need to be integrated into
communication protocols. Interoperability needs to be
the control system and interoperability and compatibility
carefully specified and assessed prior to final procurement.
issues need to be addressed. In many cases components
Addressing interoperability after procurement generally
will not simply plug and play and intercommunication
provides sub optimal and expensive control solutions.
protocols and logic needs to be standardised across
Existing systems also need to be considered in terms of
interoperability requirements. the system.

Security risks – Poorly managed system changes Sensors – Even the most complex and capable control
can cause a break down in the original programming system must depend on its sensors for information.
and design intent. Systems design, operation, and The quality of the system depends on the quality of the
maintenance protocols need to incorporate a formal information it receives, and hence the quality of its sensors
change management system and define levels of access including their manufacture, selection, and installation.
or authority for; viewing data and trends, changing settings The capability of the control system is built from the
and schedules, changing system programming. bottom up, not the top down.

Internet connectivity brings with it a series of security risks Infrastructure – Controls need infrastructure. Building
including risk of intrusion (hacker) or virus contamination controls, like any other electronic based system, will
of the software. Control systems incorporating wireless and have operating requirements such as cabling, power
wifi enabled components also present some security risks supply, power quality, communications network, WiFi
that need to be addressed in the design and installation. enabled environment etc. The building environment
and infrastructure arrangements need to be compatible
Risks associated with operational systems – No matter with the proposed controls software and hardware, or
how well designed and operated a system may be, conversely the building controls need to be compatible
they will fail and in some cases through no fault of the with the building environment and infrastructure
system, e.g. power loss, fuel loss, external tampering, etc. arrangements.
These risks can be reduced with hardware and software
inclusions but prevention can never be totally guaranteed. Operating environment – Many control components,
particularly digital components, cannot operate at very
••• Risks associated with system failure – Failure to design, high or very low temperatures, in very high humidity, or
10 install or commission control systems properly can result in corrosive environments. The environmental limitations
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28
of controls hardware need to be assessed, and in some • Lighting control systems.
circumstances non-digital control solutions will be required. • Renewable energy systems.
Building factors – Controls respond to real events in real • Co- and tri-generation systems.
time. Controlling a variable, such as temperature or relative • Rainwater, greywater and blackwater collection,
humidity, to a very precise condition may be difficult due treatment and use.
to building issues such as thermal inertia, the inertia of the
controlling system, local heat gains and processes, and The addition of these systems can add considerably
weather related factors such as air infiltration, building to the complexity of the control systems. Increasing
pressure or solar gains. Control system accuracy and complexity can lead to an increasing likelihood of errors
responsiveness should be matched with the building type, in design, installation, commissioning, operation, and
configuration, and expected outcomes. maintenance. A significant limiting factor in the provision
and effective operation of complex systems is the building
Recommissioning and fine tuning – Control systems management skills available to effectively and efficiently
are the brains of a building however, the settings and operate and monitor them once they are installed. The
sensitivities can slide over time. To maintain system management of a complex system is generally assisted
accuracy and optimisation, systems and buildings should by management programming within the BMCS system.
be periodically tuned and recommissioned to ensure the However, the outputs and capabilities of BMCS should
correct performance. also be matched to building management capabilities.
Too much system information can be just as much
Operation and maintenance – In order to provide a barrier to optimum system performance as too
optimised outcomes, controls need to be operated little. Even with a well functioning system there is the
and maintained correctly and systems that are not will potential for the facility manager to be overwhelmed
not perform satisfactorily. Controls are items which with building information.
integrate with mechanical components such as valves
and dampers in the field. Therefore, the confirmation of Control systems can be relatively simple or highly complex.
correct mechanical operation is required as part of control As the capability of the control system rises, the costs
system maintenance. and complexity also tend to rise, leading to an increasing
level of operating knowledge and maintenance expertise
Skills and knowledge – A lack of training and poor required. Buildings and their systems should be designed
system documentation leads to poor system knowledge. with the available level of building management input in
Operators and maintainers cannot optimise systems that mind. The available knowledge level, skills, resources and
they do not understand. Training, information sharing staffing numbers may limit the options for implementing
between companies, dialogue between designers and technologically complex building systems.
contractors, and interoperability challenges are all areas
that industry needs to address. Controls tend to be poorly Designers should consider the following guiding
understood within the building industry, often because principles when matching complexity to building needs.
they are generally considered to be highly mathematical In particular designers should:
and dependant on expert programming knowledge. • Understand where maintenance contractors
People – Successful deployment of controls technology and parts will be coming from.
needs to align with the people and processes for which the • Estimate the complexity of the building systems.
control is provided. Designers and providers should never • Estimate the level of skill, time, and
lose sight of the fundamental purposes of building controls. cost to effectively operate and maintain systems.
• Design the level of complexity to match
2.6. Balancing need the likely building management input.

with complexity Identify strategies for either; reducing the complexity;

reducing the level of building management input required;
There is increasing pressure on building owners and or increasing the effectiveness of building management.
designers to provide or achieve high performance
buildings. Common drivers include: Reducing the complexity – Methods to reduce system
complexity include the use of packaged or standardised
• Building owners’ (PCA) office quality matrix. systems, moving design back down the scale of
• Commercial and Government green leases. complexity, the use of passive or natural systems.
• Green Star and NABERS rating requirements. Reduce building management input – Systems such as
• Corporate sustainability goals and programs. fault detection and diagnosis systems, well designed plant
• Community expectations. and plantroom spaces, and well designed BMCS dashboard
• Mandatory energy reporting. and KPI monitoring will all act to reduce the level of input
or skill required by the facility manager.
As a result of this buildings often include:
Increase effectiveness of building management – Up
• Linked BMCS and facilities management systems. skill facility management staff with training and education, •••
• Daylight dimming and management systems. increased emphasis on knowledge transfer in the project 11
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

including building documentation, extended handover, environmental conditions, schedules, and emergency
additional system training, or outsourcing of building events. A major benefit is the ability to coordinate actions
management role with appropriate contractual conditions between multiple systems. Once a person enters a
(e.g. performance contract). building through the access and security system, the
building can potentially track their location throughout the
building. As the building monitors its occupant’s positions,
2.7. Occupant interfaces it can manipulate its building systems to distribute its
resources effectively and with optimum efficiency. For
Occupant interfaces relates to the provision of controls that
example, ventilation, air conditioning, and lighting systems
can be manipulated by the occupants. Allowing occupants
can be enabled, and a phone and internet access account
control over their environment has been shown to improve
can be allocated to the appropriate place in the building.
satisfaction and reduce complaints. However, for occupant
Similarly, systems can be shut down when areas become
controls to be effective they should be designed to the
unoccupied. Peak loads can be managed and active
following criteria:
demand response and load shedding enabled.
Clarity of purpose – Controls should be easy to
Intelligent buildings monitor themselves and have the
understand, switching and purpose should be intuitively
ability to communicate and report. System integration
obvious. Labels and annotation should be clear.
enables more effective data presentation and assessment.
Provide feedback – Tangible feedback such as a click The control system can generate detailed and customised
to indicate to the user that the device has operated and information and reports, offering new ways of billing and
a readout or indicator light to show that the intended cost allocation. Connectivity is enhanced with the ability
effect had occurred. to send automated emails and pages, and the ability
of the system to communicate with outside stakeholders
Provide control – They should work effectively providing or indeed any entity authorised by the owner or manager.
the required degree of fine control, not need to be used Remote monitoring and management of systems are also
too often (fine control not total control), and not require facilitated in the intelligent building.
too much intervention (automatic reset time).
A consistent notion within the term intelligent buildings
Ease of use – They should be located as close to the point (or smart buildings), is the use of technology and control
of need as possible and indicate the current status. processes to create a building that is safer and more
productive for its occupants, and more operationally
The operation and design intent of all occupant interfaces efficient for the building owner. Intelligent buildings
should be clearly explained in the building user guide and should cost less to operate and represent more value to
included in the occupant training program. The length their occupants and owners. However, given the potential
of user override should be carefully selected, and ideally capabilities of integrated control systems, the invasion of
controls should indicate to people how long until the individual privacy must now be part of the considerations
default state is restored. in the development of future building control or
management plans.
The provision of occupant controls or interfaces needs to
be considered in terms of integration and energy efficiency. Some of the high level control functions that can be
Occupants tend to operate controls for their comfort needs incorporated into the intelligent building are discussed
rather than for energy efficiency. For example, switching in section 4.
systems and equipment off with automatic sensors is
generally more energy efficient than relying on occupants
to switch off when they leave a space. 2.9. The business
case for controls
2.8. Intelligent buildings Controls can generate benefits, both tangible and
Intelligent building is an emerging term used to describe intangible, however they also have costs and impacts.
a building with high level and fully integrated controls and Like any investment, a business case may need to be made
IT systems. Intelligent buildings use a single infrastructure for the provision or update of a building control system.
and control system to manage and control multiple Appendix F outlines some of the issues that should be
building systems including, fire and life safety, alarms, considered when developing a business case for building
HVAC, lighting, CCTV, access and security, maintenance control systems.
management, telephone, internet and intranet.
Infrastructure and cabling costs are reduced and flexibility
is increased. The intelligent building can analyse data, make
decisions, and the intelligent building can communicate
across different systems.

Intelligent building control systems have the ability to

••• perform complex management tasks and can proactively
12 manage buildings according to both preset and variable
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

3 Building management
and control systems
(BMCS)
3.1. BMCS defined 3.2. Demarcation of BMCS
A building management and control system (BMCS) and essential services
controls and monitors the internal environmental
conditions of commercial buildings. They are also The functionality of a BMCS stops short of the control
referred to as building management systems (BMS), of essential systems such as standby power generators,
building automation systems (BAS), and building and building safety systems such as fire control or smoke
automation and control systems (BACS). management systems. Due to their critical nature, the
control of essential services requires strict compliance
A BMCS consists of a number of digital controllers which with Australian Standards and building codes. Where
communicate via a network infrastructure and report to a a BMCS might share information across its network to
computer referred to as a head end, supervisor or operator provide control variables, essential systems use local
workstation. The function of the operator workstation is to information and hard wired interlocks for reliability
send operational parameters to the controllers, such as set and resilience. A BMCS may, however, monitor the
points and time schedules. Conversely, the controllers can status of the essential services plant to provide
send operational information to the operator workstation reports and alarms to the operator workstation.
such as temperatures, alarms and system performance
information. In some designs, an item of plant may have a dual purpose.
For instance, a relief air fan could also be providing smoke
The controllers are digital and operate with embedded management. In this scenario, the BMCS would provide
software which has been developed specifically for the relief air control strategy, and the smoke management
HVAC control known as direct digital control (DDC). The control system would provide the smoke management
software has incumbent control algorithms or logic, which control strategy. The smoke management control system
can perform a multitude of tasks when configured in a will take priority over the BMCS whenever the system is
sequence. Configuration of the DDC software is known as in smoke management mode. This priority of control will
control logic, control sequences, or simply code. be implemented by control signals directly connected
to the associated fans, damper etc without the reliance
Digital control of buildings has been available since the late upon the BMCS controllers or network. Items of plant
seventies, but took hold of the industry during the eighties.
considered as life safety equipment will be set up as
Prior to this, pneumatic or electric controls were used
islands of automation; they can stand alone and operate
which often operated on a standalone basis.
independently from other systems.
During the infancy of BMCS, the operator workstation was
instrumental to the overall operational performance of the
system. For instance, trend logging and time schedules
3.3. BMCS topology
would be performed from the workstation software which A BMCS architecture typically has three levels, see figure 3.1:
put an onus onto the reliability of performance of the
• Field level,
computer hardware. This style of architecture relied upon
the communications network and created large quantities • System level, and
of traffic between the controllers and the workstation. • Management level.
More recently, this functionality has been placed into the
controllers to create a truly distributed system which does The field level refers to application specific controllers, such
not rely on a single component. The terms BMCS, BMS, as terminal devices including fan coil units, and variable air
BAS, and BACS refer to the complete control system and volume boxes and control peripherals, such as sensors and •••
not just the operator workstation and associated software. valve or damper actuators. 13
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

INTERNET
Enterprise Level

Operator workstation
BMCS Server

Management Level

TCP/IP Network

System Level TCP/IP Network

Fire Systems

AHU’s, Boilers, Chillers RS 485 Network Lighting System

Field Level Chillers

Power Meters

High Level Interface

Third Party Integration
FCU Controllers VAV Box Controllers

Figure 3.1: Typical BMCS topology

The system level, also known as the automation level, with field terminal devices such as fan coil units and
is associated with controllers serving the main plant such variable air volume boxes. The controllers have DDC
as the air handling units, chillers and boiler control. software which has been factory pre-configured to carry
out specific tasks. They have a small footprint or spatial
The management level comprises the BMCS server and requirement with limited fixed input and output channels
the operator workstation, also known as the head end to cater for the local field sensors and control peripherals.
or building dashboard. The management level of control
allows the management and monitoring of the control In many installations there are numerous terminal
system from a single point. devices which control identically. These controllers
provide an economical solution as they do not require
In addition to these three typical levels, in some installations
any programming. The fixed functionality, however,
there is a fourth level, the enterprise level. This sits above
does present problems if the system design has specified
the other levels usually within a corporate network to
provide data analysis such as asset management. requirements beyond the standard controller’s application
capability. In this instance, a freely programmable
controller is required.
3.4. DDC Controllers A freely programmable controller offers the flexibility
Defined to write a control strategy by either text (plain English)
programming or graphical flow charts. In recent years,
Direct digital controllers (DDC) reside upon the BMCS
manufacturers have developed graphical programming
network and share information with the system. Their
applications known as graphical function blocks; these
primary function is controlling mechanical equipment
can be easier to follow than the text programming
such as fans, pumps valves, and dampers. These controllers
typically have two types of functionality: applications.

• Fixed function, or The hardware associated with the DDC controllers

• Freely programmable. will vary between manufacturers. There are controllers
with onboard inputs and outputs (IO) see figure 3.2 and
••• The fixed function controller, otherwise known as controllers that have external IO being modular in design.
14 application specific controllers, are traditionally associated Both have their pros and cons.
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

Inputs Outputs

AI – Analogue Analogue AO – Analogue

Outputs
Universal
Inputs
DI – Digital DO– Digital
Digital
Outputs

Figure 3.2: DDC controller with onboard Input/Output

Controllers with onboard IO are considered more resilient Both are equally as important for communications
than the modular approach due to the processor being compatibility between devices. The transport mechanism
directly connected to the IO channels. However, they can refers to the type of physical media being used (e.g. wire,
have a restrictive footprint when retro fitting into existing optical fibre, radio link), and the protocol is the language
control panels. The modular systems offer flexibility of the data which is a set of common rules for the
of installation and can be pre wired off site. communication signals.

Transport mechanisms or media used in a BMCS

3.5. Network can include:
Communications • Master Slave/Token Passing (MS/TP)
– Serial communications using an EIA-485 signal
Defined in a daisy chain configuration.
All DDC controllers have the ability to communicate on • LonWorks – Based on the proprietary Neuron chip.
a network. The types of networks used within a BMCS • Ethernet – Data transmission up to 1 Gbit/s
have developed in line with standard information and on a typical ITC medium.
communications technology (ICT) networks. The different
types of networks used are associated with the three level Network communications can be extended beyond
architecture topology as described in 3.3. the boundary of the BMCS by connection to the internet
for remote monitoring and control functionality.
The field level controllers communicate on a simple
network infrastructure physically connected together
in a daisy chain. 3.6. Web Based Systems
The system level controllers typically have two levels of and remote monitoring
communications. One for the field level network and one
for the system level network. The system level network, Remote monitoring has traditionally been via a dial
generally Ethernet, provides a higher speed and wider up telephone line. Currently, with the advancement
bandwidth to cater for large amounts of data transfer. This of telecommunications, remote monitoring is generally
type of controller also acts as a network router to direct traffic via the internet, due to the speed and reliability available.
across the field level network and the system level network. There are broadly two types of BMCS communications
architecture:
See Figure 3.1 for a typical BMCS topology schematic. • Web based, and
A communication network consists of the following • Non web based.
two main elements:
A web based system behaves like an internet site,
• A transport mechanism. which serves pages of information, which can be accessed •••
• A communications protocol. by a standard web browser. 15
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

A non web based system uses proprietary software The trend log data can be used to generate a graph on the
to view the system which can be accessed using either operator workstation, or text files which can be imported to
a separate web server application in conjunction with the external processes such as spreadsheet applications. A graph
BMCS operator workstation software, or a remote desktop can be set up to display multiple points of information for
application. comparing different values over the same time intervals.

Some web based systems require additional software When a multiple point graph is required, it is important
to be installed on the client computer, which often to make sure that all the point’s trend sample intervals are
conflicts with company procedures when accessing identical and the time clocks within the controllers are
from a corporate environment. synchronised.

Systems which do not need any additional software for

access use a “thin client” arrangement, which depends 3.9. Information reporting
heavily on some other computer or server to fulfill its The facility to create custom reports on the operator
computational role. This can create security issues in workstation from the information stored on the BMCS
certain circumstances. server provides the user with many different options.
Custom reporting has become a standard in most systems.
3.7. Information gathering These reports can be used to provide commissioning
information, any system changes, and user audit trails to
Significant functionality of the BMCS derives from its ability identify who was logged on and when.
to capture operational performance information of the A significant reporting function of the BMCS or DDC
connected equipment either instantaneously, historically, system is the ability to generate alarms when specified
or at predefined time intervals. As well as monitoring parameters move outside of pre-determined limits.
critical variables and generating alarms system, operating
and performance information can be collected into trend
logs of system performance which can provide invaluable 3.10. Alarms
information for building operators, system maintainers,
Alarms provide annunciation of any system points that are
engineers, and designers.
operating outside of predefined parameters. Alarms can
generally be allocated to groups, priorities and categories
3.8. Trend logs to assist the management and handling process. Often
there are hundreds of alarm points configured in a
The term trend analysis refers to the concept of collecting BMCS, and the structure of how these alarms are setup is
information at regular time intervals and attempting to paramount to the performance of a system.
identify a pattern, or trend, by analysing the information.
Trend log is the term used for the data files compiling Alarm points associated with field equipment are usually
the trend variables for analysis. A trend log is created by generated within a DDC controller and are passed to
sampling and recording a system point at a predefined the operator workstation via the network. Alarms can
also be sent to remote destinations via email, SMS text
interval. This interval can be either time based or change
messaging, or a remote operator workstation which
of value (COV) based. A trend log can be associated with
repeats the alarm message. When an alarm is received,
any point on the system either digital (on/off also known
the operator workstation confirms the delivery back to
as binary) or analogue (variable).
the DDC controller which sent the alarm. This prevents
Trend logs can create large amounts of unnecessary the controller from re-sending the alarm after a time delay
data if not managed correctly. For instance, a trend log period. The operator has to acknowledge the alarm to stop
the alarm message from annunciating. This could be a pop
set up as a COV, will record the point value whenever
up window, flashing text bar or sound, depending on the
there is a value change outside of the predefined limits.
system configuration. This acknowledgement is also sent
A temperature sensor log may be set up with a COV of
to the DDC controller. If the point that created the alarm
0.1°C. Every time the temperature sensor reads a 0.1°C
has returned to within the predefined limits, the alarm will
change, the value will be recorded. This small incremental return to normal. Upon this condition, a further message is
change of value in temperature would not be appropriate sent to the operator workstation notifying that this point is
in most cases. now normal. If the point remains outside of the limits, the
alarm will stay active notifying the operator workstation.
Trend logs typically reside within the system level DDC
controllers, which have a limited capacity for storage. Alarm messages take priority on the network. Alarms
When the memory allocated to trend data is full, the with a high classification take priority over lower
information will either be uploaded to the BMCS server or classification alarms. Although a typical alarm message
the oldest data will be over written. This depends on how is small, there can be thousands of alarms generated
the system has been set up. Alternatively, some field level at the same time. If the alarm management is not well
••• controllers have trend logging capabilities. Again, data defined and structured, this can severely restrict the
16 storage capabilities and protocols need to be addressed. network operating speed and efficiency.
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

3.11. Information storage The requirements for operator workstation graphics

are highly subjective, and often the centre of discussion.
There is a large amount of data generated within the Too much information on a page is daunting for the
typical BMCS. This data is stored within databases in building operator, where as too little can be useless.
the BMCS server, the operator workstation and the Graphics pages should be broken into systems and
DDC controllers. subsystems with intuitive navigational links between them.
A common problem is to navigate from one system to the
The database within a DDC controller contains the next without a way of going back. Configuring operator
configured control strategy data which has been dashboards for fast access to common system parameters
programmed to suit its application. This database will and operational values will provide a valuable tool.
generally be proprietary to the manufacturer and only
accessible by the manufacturers engineering software Appendix D provides guidance on BMCS information
programs. and diagnostic graphics screens.

The operator workstation also has a database to store all

of the site(s) information for the user interface application
3.14. System specification
to access when requested. This data will generally consist and functionality
of trend logs, alarms, user logs, system parameters and
navigation links for the graphical pages to use. Some The controller logic is usually based on a design engineer’s
systems use a proprietary database developed by functional specification.
the system manufacturers, others use freely available
In some cases, the actual operational functionality
databases such as Structured Query Language (SQL).
drifts from the specified functionality due to either
SQL is a computer language designed for managing
misinterpretation of the specification or system
data in relational database management systems compliance issues. For instance, if a designer specifies a
certain functional requirement for a variable air volume
3.12. Information box controller, and the control system provider has a fixed
application within the controls, the specification may not
management be achievable. This type of non compliance is usually not
picked up until late in a project, and can impact on the
A BMCS is a computer system which stores a vast overall performance of the system.
amount of essential information. The management
of this information is just as important as the maintenance Misinterpretation of the specification will also cause
of the systems it controls. The responsibility of this non compliance issues, but in some cases is proven to
management sometimes conflicts with manufacturer’s be advantageous for the system. Building designers
guidelines and end user corporate processes, especially and BMCS engineers will always have differing opinions
if the system integrates with the end users network. and approaches to system functionality. It is therefore
The operator workstation should have antivirus protection paramount to workshop the design, at an early stage
and backup software to archive the trend and alarm of the project, with the BMCS contractor, prior to
log information. commencing system engineering, with all parties
agreeing the functionality of the system.

3.13. Design principles

When designing a control system, a holistic view should
3.15. Open systems
be taken to picture the system architecture and how The integration of different manufacturers equipment
the numerous components and equipment are required into a single control system can be achieved by either
to operate together. There are different approaches to hard wired control signals between the devices, (low
different applications, for instance a typical commercial level) or by direct communications between the device
office building will have a different architecture to that processors (high level).
of a data centre or a university campus.
Using the low level method, both systems must be
Typical commercial offices have main plant systems able to provide the required signal and connection
which can consist of chillers, boilers, and air handling point such as a start stop contact for a chiller.
units, with multiples of terminal equipment such as The high level method requires sophisticated
variable air volume boxes, chilled beams or fan coil units. communications and compatibility to function correctly.
Although each item of plant should be able to control Different manufacturers of equipment have developed their
independently, the understanding of dependencies and products with proprietary protocols of communications
association is key to both the BMCS control efficiency and which are often not available to any third party.
the building energy efficiency. Systems engineered with a
well structured architecture can prevent communications The term “open systems” has traditionally been used to
bottlenecks and provide resilience. Daisy chain networks describe a system which uses a communications protocol •••
should be avoided at the system level. made available (in a published standard) for third parties 17
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

to engineer their particular products for data exchange. The controllers have a good life expectancy of up to
Since the mid-eighties, manufacturers have developed 15 years, however the software used to engineer the
communications products for interoperability which were control configurations or the operator workstation would
called gateways or translators. not be expected to last as long. The majority of systems
are based upon commercially developed operating
The problem with this type of equipment was the lack of systems. They therefore rely upon the compatibility of
standardisation, for example, when a manufacturer made an the computer hardware and software being up to date.
engineering update to their particular product, this update Computer hardware becomes out of date within a few
must also be incorporated into any third party equipment years and the support for legacy equipment becomes
to maintain compatibility. This caused constant problems limited. A ten year old operator workstation or engineers
with systems not communicating due to misinterpretation laptop computer will often be using communications
of protocols or out of date revisions in equipment. hardware to connect to the BMCS network, which is not
compatible with contemporary computer products.
Gateways can become a bottleneck and single point
of failure and therefore should be used with caution. Software obsolescence cannot be avoided as this is driven
by the operating systems manufacturers. As the hardware
These days, open systems use communications standards
is driven by the software, this also has a relatively short
to assist in the integration process. By selecting equipment
life. As part of maintenance agreements, software and
with the same communication standard, equipment
hardware updates should be included and scheduled
can share information across the same network. Typical
accordingly to avoid unforseen operational costs to the
open standards of communications used in today’s
building owners.
systems are LonWorks™ and BACnet™. Systems using
these communications standards still use proprietary
engineering tools and languages for configuration of the
system. The communications of data is restricted to a set
3.17. Monitoring
of objects defined by the particular standard, which may and metering
not represent the complete system.
Monitoring and metering of various systems such as
Equipment that is specified to communicate with either electrical power, water consumption, and energy is a
the Lonworks™ or BACnet™ protocol should have been requirement in most of today’s buildings. How this is
tested and certified to meet the particular requirements. delivered is dependent upon the utilities providers and
the level of metering within a building. Utilities providers
BACnet™ products are tested by the have their own meters on which their billing processes
BACnet™ testing laboratories (BTL) to be are based. These meters do not generally allow any
eligible to receive a BTL listing and display other connection for a BMCS or monitoring system, and
the BTL logo as part of the listing process. therefore additional meters are required. Sub metering
provides metering information for individual items of
LonWorks™ products are slightly different equipment or areas, and is now standard in most modern
as they require a proprietary Neuron buildings. Important factors to consider when installing
Chip manufactured by Echelon. Certified sub meters are the accuracy and reliability of the metering
products carry the LonMark logo. equipment proposed and their integration with the BMCS.
Care should be taken when products pertaining Monitoring and metering can induce heavy amounts
to communicate with these protocols do not have of communications traffic on the controls network,
certification. These products should be either avoided or and this must be considered at the system design phase
subjected to thorough bench testing. or if retrofitting to an existing system. Older styles of
networks, such as twisted pair RS485, will become slow
Open Systems are intended for improved interoperability
if subjected to too much traffic. The amount of data is
of different equipment manufacturers, and not necessarily
largely dependent upon the sample time intervals required
to escape the single supplier trap. The perception that
for historical trending.
using open systems is the only requirement to prevent
a building or system being trapped by a single controls Energy metering by third party energy management
supplier therefore is only a myth. systems (EMS) provide a higher detail of information
as they have been developed specifically for this task.
3.16. Technology lifecycle The toolsets these systems provide are usually to analyse
and compare current and historical information. Integrating
Digital control systems use software to perform their these systems into a BMCS can be achieved by using server
functionality, which often has to be periodically updated client technology such as OPC (an open standard for data
by the systems manufacturer. Today’s controls systems exchange) or similar.
are no different to any other digital device in terms of the
For further information on meters and monitoring systems
technology lifecycle. Digital control technology continues
refer to Appendix E.
to rapidly develop with new types of equipment constantly
••• being offered to the market place incorporating improved
18 functionality, better data memory, or a smaller footprint.
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

3.18. System management When designing these strategies, the complete

system chain must be considered from the source
Complex systems require a high level of management. to the destination.
System access should be managed and restricted to
For example, in a typical cooling system, the chain to be
secure the performance. Each user should have unique
considered includes the Chiller to the Air Handling Unit (AHU)
logon privileges to identify when and what was being
to the terminal devices such as a Variable Air Volume box
performed on the system and by whom. Generally, most
(VAV). In this scenario, the demand dictated by the VAV box
systems have event logs which can be used to audit
can be influenced by the air temperature, (which is dictated
and track operator activity.
by the chilled water temperature), and the air volume. This
Systems which store large amounts of important data must system could include a chilled water reset strategy and
be backed up to an external device or remote destination. a supply air temperature reset strategy. Potentially these
Trend logs and alarm history can build up significantly and two control strategies, operating at the same time, could
should be regularly archived for future reference. introduce instability into the cooling system.

Antivirus software and firewalls should always be installed Resets should be biased to which equipment or condition
on operator workstations, especially when connected to has the greatest energy efficiency impact, and cascaded
the internet. The antivirus and operating software must to negate the possibility of one cancelling out the other.
be kept up to date with regular scans scheduled.

3.19. Energy optimisation
strategies
Energy optimisation strategies can substantially reduce
energy use, but can also create instability within a system
if not implemented correctly. The optimisation of control
set points and equipment schedules is typical of an
intelligent system, and some recommendations are
detailed in Appendix B.

•••
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Notes:
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BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

4 Intelligent Buildings
4.1. Scope of section A related consideration is whether the exchange of
information is one-way (i.e. reporting only) or two-way
A smart or intelligent building integrates major building (reporting and control).
systems onto a common network or platform and uses
the information from these systems to offer significant 4.2.2. How to integrate
improvements in energy efficiency, operational
effectiveness, and occupant satisfaction. A second issue to consider is how to integrate the various
systems. It is unlikely that all systems will be able to effectively
This section discusses some of the issues surrounding communicate with each other unless a means of exchanging
the intelligent building including: information is explicitly specified for the systems.
• Integrating multiple systems. In order to exchange information, the systems need
• Interactive occupant controls. to speak the same language, which is a communication
protocol, and use the same physical medium as described
• Automated fault detection and diagnostics systems.
in 3.5.
• Wireless components and systems
Integration between systems is typically achieved
Concepts such as the building IT backbone and integrating by two methods:
BMCS with BIM systems are also briefly discussed.
• Each system to use the same (open or proprietary)
communication protocol.
4.2. Integrated • Each system to use a gateway.
control systems Gateways combine the functions of translating from
Modern buildings are made up of multiple networks one protocol to another and route the information across
and control systems, including HVAC, lighting, electrical, a network as described in 3.15.
lifts, CCTV, fire and access control. With the technology
available today, there can be opportunities to integrate 4.2.3. Potential costs,
these control systems onto a common network, operating
system, and/or data gathering platform.
risks, and benefits
There are a range of potential benefits from integrating
There is also an increasing convergence between systems but also some potential costs and risks associated.
building control systems and building IT systems, that A number of these are noted in Table 4.1.
opens up opportunities to integrate control systems
with Computerised Maintenance Management Systems,
Building Information Models, financial management
4.2.4. Integration risk management
systems or other business-oriented software. Integrating different manufacturer’s equipment onto a
common network can present challenges, and there needs
Issues to consider regarding systems integration include to be a clear demarcation of roles and responsibilities
at what level to integrate, how to achieve integration, and for each party involved. Typically, the BMCS will be the
the potential benefits and risks associated with integration. destination for the data, and therefore the BMCS provider
or specialist is best placed to be charged with the role of
4.2.1. Level of integration verifying the connection method and data compatibility
for all equipment associated with the proposed system.
A key issue when considering integration of systems
is the level at which they will be integrated. Integration Holding an integration workshop with all equipment and
levels can include: systems suppliers, and chaired by the BMCS specialist,
• Device – Field level controller. can help to negate potential incompatibility issues. It is
also recommended to have the project commissioning
• Local controller – System level controller. engineers attend this workshop.
• Network – Cabling, wired, and wireless.
Pro forma integration data sheets for each piece of plant
• Supervisory – Management level controller. and equipment should be issued to each system supplier •••
• Information management – Enterprise level. to provide their particular information including: 21
 DA28 BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS

Table 4.1 Benefits, costs, and risks associated with integrating control systems

Potential benefits Potential costs and risks

• Reduce cabling, leading to reduced space required, • Risk of single points of failure causing
and reduced material and installation costs. multiple building system faults or failures.
• Opportunities for more effective • Risk of being locked-in to a single vendor,
control strategies (e.g. occupant detection). or not being able to effectively achieve
• Opportunities to better balance competitive bids for systems.
energy efficiency with tenant satisfaction.
• Potential cost of gateways to enable sharing
• Reduced duplication in sensors of information between systems.
(e.g. for occupant detection).
• Potential information overload for FM staff.
• Capture tacit knowledge of aging
Facility Management (FM) workforce. • Increased co-ordination required between
• Improved fault detection. design disciplines and contractors on site.
Lines of responsibility need to be clearly defined
• Increased responsiveness of FM team. and documented.
• Increased occupant satisfaction.
• If building IT network is used this places increased
• Increased ability to manage importance on that network. For example, it needs
electrical demand within the building. to be in place for building commissioning, access to
• Improved maintenance scheduling. the network needs to be monitored; IT network down
time may affect building operation. IT staff need to
• Improved incident response understand the system, e.g. so that the building’s IP
during an emergency or crime. addresses are not blocked or purged.
• Improved information management
and decision support. • Codes or other third-parties (e.g. insurers) may restrict
the ability to integrate life-safety or security systems.
• Increased flexibility for systems within the building
through the use of a shared high-speed backbone.

• Network connection type. control of lights, HVAC, lifts, and other building systems.
• Communication protocol and revision. Controlling nothing implies that all the building systems
are completely automated. The reality lies somewhere
• Data points available. between these two extremes. For example, occupants may
• Data addresses if applicable. be required to turn the air conditioning on, but the system
then automatically regulates the temperature based on a
These integration data sheets will then provide an audit temperature sensor within the space. The temperature set
trail to assist in the integration process. All interfaces point may or may not be user selectable.
should be tested off site if not standard or historically
proven. Whatever level of user control is deemed appropriate the
control system designer will need to consider the best or
4.3. User interactive most appropriate way to engage occupants in the control
of the building.
controls
As buildings become more sophisticated, two key 4.3.2. Engaging users
questions control system designers must address are: There are a range of methods that can be used by control
• What role do occupants play in the control system designers to engage building users. These methods
of the building? vary in how frequently they are updated and whether
they include feedback, see Figure 4.1. They can range
• How do occupants know what control action
from physical cues and signs, to building user guides and
is expected of them?
training programs, on to interactive building data displays
and building dashboards.
4.3.1. Role of users
At the two extremes, building occupants may either Physical design of building elements
••• be expected to operate everything or nothing within a The physical design of building elements can be used
22 building. Controlling everything implies extensive manual to suggest how they should be operated or controlled.
BUILDING MANAGEMENT & CONTROL SYSTEMS DA28

Dashboards
Physical Without
feedback
A more dynamic way of including users in the building
building Signs
elements control is through the use of dashboard displays of energy
Dynamic and water usage rates, costs, peak demand periods, and
(updated system status. This could be in the form of a webpage, local
User
Training frequently)
guides touch screen, or foyer display. Presenting this type of building
consumption or performance information to occupants
Static could be used to encourage more sustainable occupant
(updated Dashboards behaviour provided that users are able to make connections
infrequently) between their actions and the building data displayed.
With Interactive
feedback voting Interactive voting
More recent opportunities for user feedback and
Figure 4.1 User interactive control characteristics interactive controls are the use of real-time or near real-
time voting or polling, for example, for thermal comfort.
Occupants might have a web or computer interface that
For example, a knob implies twisting, a cord implies
pulling, and buttons and levers imply pushing. If the enables them to register their comfort level and other
consequence of performing these actions is intuitive to related feedback. This data could then be included in
users, then it may not be necessary to provide any further the decision-making strategy of the BMCS to determine
indication of what is expected of them. If, however, the appropriate set points or to fine tune the system.
response of performing these control actions occurs in a
remote location (e.g. a tap turning on landscape sprinklers),
if there is a delay in the system response occurring (e.g.
4.4. Automated fault
delay between adjusting the thermostat set point and the detection and
space heating or cooling system reaction), or there are a
number of possible system responses (e.g. lighting control diagnostics
with multiple dimming modes), it is helpful to provide A useful building management function that can be linked
further information to building users. to a building controls system is automated fault detection
and diagnostics.
Signs
Signage is a common way of providing control guidance Fault detection is automated when the control system
to building users. Effective signage should tell the user can detect that a system or component is not performing
what they need to know in an unambiguous way. as it should be. When components fail to achieve the
desired or required energy, water, indoor environment
Users need to know that the controller relates to quality, comfort, safety, security, or economic performance
a particular device or effect. This could be as simple a fault is registered by the system. An alarm is raised,
as the provision of a sign or label. If there is a time delay fault notification protocols are commenced, and a fault
in the control response or the system is remote it may diagnostics program may be engaged.
be helpful to provide additional indication that something
is happening, such as an indicator light or LCD display (e.g. Automated fault diagnostics involves the building control
that says “heating” in response to a change in set point). system identifying why the fault is occurring, prioritising
faults in terms of safety, economic or environmental
Building user guides impact, and suggesting remedial action.
For more complex systems, there may be value in
providing a building user guide that explains the design There are a range of issues that should be addressed when
intent of the building’s systems and the roles that the user considering an automated fault detection and diagnostic
can play. For example, if the building has mixed-mode (FDD) system. Initial scoping questions for the design
ventilation, the user may need to be aware of manual and implementation of automated FDD could include:
ventilation overrides. Similarly, if the building has individual • To what building systems should FDD be applied?
control of lighting or ventilation rates, the user should (HVAC, lighting, building, transportation?)
understand how to best use and adjust these. Building
user guides should include tips for the building user • What is the intent of the FDD system?
on how to achieve comfortable conditions. Is it short-term or ongoing?
• What faults should the system detect,
Training are some more important than others?
Training is another option for engaging building users in • Who will the user of the system be?
the control system. Training could be provided as part of (building operator, maintenance contractor?)
an induction to the building. It should complement any
building user guide. An audio visual recording of original • What data inputs are needed to detect faults?
training sessions can be retained for the future use and • Which aspects of the system are to be •••
engagement of new building users. automated and which are to be manual? 23