Beyond the Status Quo: Elevating Building Performance with Advanced BAS Features

Elevating Building Performance with Advanced BAS Features

The role of a building automation system (BAS) has evolved significantly. No longer just a tool for basic climate control, today's intelligent platforms offer a wealth of advanced functionalities that can dramatically impact a building's efficiency, sustainability, and occupant experience. According to a U.S. Department of Energy report, the implementation of well-designed building controls can lead to significant energy savings, potentially reducing commercial building energy consumption by approximately 29%.^[i] For specifiers looking to design truly high-performing buildings, understanding and leveraging these sophisticated capabilities is paramount. Let's explore how moving beyond the fundamentals can unlock a new level of building optimization and energy efficiency.

Intelligent Scheduling: Orchestrating Efficiency

Gone are the days of simple on/off scheduling. Today's advanced BAS platforms offer hierarchical scheduling, allowing for granular control over equipment operation based on occupancy patterns, day of the week, and even specific events. Specifying systems with this level of control empowers building operators to fine-tune schedules to match actual usage, minimizing wasted energy during unoccupied periods. Furthermore, the ability to create exceptions and overrides for specific zones or events provides the necessary flexibility for dynamic building environments. This granular control extends to various building systems, ensuring that resources are utilized only when and where needed, contributing to significant energy savings and improved operational efficiency.

Actionable Insight: When specifying scheduling, look for systems that offer multi-level scheduling hierarchies and the ability to integrate with occupancy sensors and calendar systems for automated adjustments. This will enhance building performance. Consider specifying features that allow for automated adjustments based on external factors like weather forecasts or utility pricing signals, taking scheduling to an even more intelligent level. This level of sophistication ensures that buildings are not just passively reacting to conditions but are actively anticipating and adapting to optimize energy use and overall building management.

The Power of Data: Sophisticated Trending & Reporting

A wealth of data is generated by modern building systems, but its true value lies in the ability to analyze and interpret it effectively. Specifying a BAS with robust trending and reporting capabilities is crucial for understanding building performance. Look for systems that allow for the collection and storage of granular data from various points within the building, enabling the creation of detailed trend logs. These logs can then be used to identify operational inefficiencies, diagnose equipment issues proactively, and optimize control sequences over time. Customizable reporting features further enhance this capability, allowing building managers to generate reports on energy consumption, equipment run times, alarm history, and other key performance indicators.

Specifying systems that offer intuitive data visualization tools, such as interactive dashboards and charts, makes this information readily accessible and actionable, empowering facility teams to make informed decisions and continuously improve building operations. Consider the value of systems that allow operators to not only view historical trends but also to visualize building conditions as they change over specific periods. This capability offers a powerful diagnostic tool, providing a quick, visual indication of potential problem areas and supporting efficient building operations.

Actionable Insight: Prioritize BAS platforms that offer customizable trending and reporting features, allowing for the selection of specific data points and the generation of reports in various formats for different stakeholders. This enables data-driven energy management. For example, ensure the system allows for the collection of detailed data such as zone temperature, humidity, and CO₂ levels to enable a complete understanding of building performance.

Energy Management Dashboards: A Holistic View of Consumption

To truly drive energy efficiency, building operators need a comprehensive overview of energy consumption patterns. Energy management dashboards provide this holistic view by aggregating data from various building systems – HVAC, lighting, plug loads, etc. – into a single, user-friendly interface. When specifying a BAS, prioritize systems that offer customizable dashboards capable of displaying real-time and historical energy usage data in meaningful ways. Features like benchmarking against past performance or similar buildings, identifying peak demand periods, and tracking progress towards energy reduction goals are invaluable for effective energy management. Consider specifying systems that can also provide insights into the environmental impact of building operations, further supporting sustainability initiatives and allowing building owners to showcase their commitment to environmental responsibility.

Demand-Side Management: Responding to Grid Signals

In an era of increasing focus on grid stability and renewable energy integration, demand-side management (DSM) capabilities are becoming increasingly important. Specifying a BAS that can respond to external signals, such as utility demand response programs or time-of-use pricing, allows building owners to actively participate in grid management and potentially reduce energy costs. This can involve automatically adjusting building loads – such as temporarily raising temperature setpoints or dimming lights – during peak demand periods. Specifiers should explore systems that offer flexible DSM strategies and the ability to integrate with utility communication networks. This not only benefits the building owner through potential cost savings and participation in incentive programs but also contributes to a more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.

Actionable Insight: Investigate BAS solutions that offer industry-standard communication protocols, like BACnet, and open APIs that allow for building systems to share data with other systems, such as utility demand response programs and other smart grid initiatives. This can lead to significant operational cost savings and enhanced energy efficiency.

Conclusion: Specifying for a Sustainable and Efficient Future

Specifying a building automation system that goes beyond basic control is a critical step in creating high-performance buildings. By focusing on advanced features like intelligent scheduling, sophisticated trending and reporting, comprehensive energy management dashboards, and demand-side management capabilities, specifiers can empower building owners and operators to achieve significant energy savings, optimize occupant comfort, and contribute to a more sustainable future. These advanced functionalities provide the insights and control necessary to make informed decisions, proactively manage building operations, and adapt to the evolving demands of the built environment. When considering your next project, remember that the power of a truly intelligent building lies in its ability to learn, adapt, and optimize its performance through these advanced BAS features.

As the built environment continues to evolve, the role of advanced BAS systems will become even more critical in creating sustainable, efficient, and occupant-centric spaces. Specifiers who prioritize these features will be at the forefront of this transformation, shaping the future of building performance.

References

^[i] Report Delves Into the Impacts of Commercial Building Controls on Energy Savings. (2017). Energy.gov. https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/articles/report-delves-impacts-commercial-building-controls-energy-savings