‘Intelligent buildings’, though a concept that evolved in the early 1980s, have gained greater prominence with the increase in construction activities and stringency in environmental regulations. These buildings not only create an environment that maximizes the productivity of its occupants. but also enable better management of resources for sustainable building maintenance. It is in this context that building automation systems (BAS) have become important.
BAS turns commercial buildings into ‘intelligent buildings’ by identifying patterns of energy consumption and adjusting the settings of installations accordingly. HVAC as well as lighting systems are the key systems that are detected, tracked, and monitored through motion-activated sensors. Self-learning programmable thermostats, smoke, and CO detecting devices are some of the examples of smart devices and sensors.
BAS, Internet of Things and cloud computing
Rapidly evolving technologies like cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) along with artificial intelligence (AI) have drastically improved BAS. Particularly cloud computing. with its automated, continuous building commissioning helps BAS to evaluate the various building systems on a regular basis. For instance, if the air-conditioner operates out of its specifications, facility managers can track the slack immediately and take action to correct the situation.
Likewise, as BAS turns out to be fully automated, AI can help it function without the need for human intervention. In the long run, the integration of AI with BAS will help buyers to achieve the optimal utilization of resources in a hassle-free manner. IoT, on the other hand, not only facilitates cloud computing and AI, but also enables BAS to function in a smarter and more efficient manner. Advanced BAS can also help the commercial area to qualify for LEED credits.
Adaptability of BAS
Procurement specialists at Technavio found that often BAS is seen by buyers as a high-end and immensely complicated system. Most buyers believe that BAS is more for huge commercial buildings. But the fact remains that BAS is equally viable for small scale enterprises as well. Its adoption will help small facilities like retail establishments, medical clinics, and restaurants to optimize their energy in the same manner as is expected in big commercial buildings. Also, as the components that work together to create BAS are becoming more affordable, they will be one of the most user-friendly solutions for building energy optimization. Sodexho, CBRE Group, and the EMCOR Group are some of the suppliers who are utilizing this technology.
As the core functionality of the BAS is to maintain the building climate within a specified range based on the occupancy schedule, procurement managers regard it to be the future of sustainable building maintenance.
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