How does a building management system work? A BMS is an intelligent digital application that enables facility managers to monitor and control all building systems at once. A BMS integrates and manages all core systems to enhance occupants’ comfort and safety, while promoting energy efficiency.
Whether you are a property manager, a homeowner, or a real estate agent, you need to learn everything about a BMS. Here is a comprehensive blog post that defines a BMS and explains how it works.
Building Management System – What is it?
What is a building management system and how does it work? A BMS is a cutting-edge computer system fixed in a building to centrally control and monitor essential electrical and mechanical equipment. Alternatively known as a building automation system, a BMS integrates and monitors the core systems at once.
Building management runs from mobile devices or computers, allowing facility managers to watch and control the properties they are responsible for without appearing physically. With a BMS, you can manage the following core systems:
- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Equipment – How does a building management system work to alter HVAC? The BMS will observe and adjust temperature, humidity, pressure, and flow levels. If these levels go beyond the premeditated limits, the BMS will produce alerts.
- Hot Water Pump Operations – The BMS ensures efficient functioning of the central heating system and how water pumps.
- Cold Water Pump Operations – How does a building management system work? One task it does is to control the functioning of the cold water pump. It ensures even distribution of the coolant to create a chilled state of water.
- Electrical Systems – Facility managers and homeowners strive to optimize energy consumption. BMS has simplified this work by monitoring power consumption and checking the status of different switches. Thus, the BMS offers live insights on current energy use so that managers can identify and reduce wastage to increase efficiency.
- Lighting – Another BMS use is lighting control. Its work is to automate and adjust various lighting fixtures to save energy while maintaining safety and comfort across the building.
- Security Surveillance Devices – A BMS incorporates the CCTV cameras and other surveillance and access control devices to enhance reaction to potential security incidents.
All the above systems deliver data to a centralized monitoring and control unit (BMS), allowing users to respond quickly when a crisis emerges.
How Does a Building Management System Work?
Novices always ask themselves this question: How does a building management system work? If you are new to a BMS, think of it as a computer-based application that consists of hardware and software parts.
- Hardware – The hardware components include the control panels. They attach directly to the BMS, appearing on every level. Another hardware element is a sensor for data collection. Many sensors appear in various areas of a building, including external air, duct, and room sensors. They collect data on the current environmental conditions. Actuators attach to heating valves and other systems. They may open or close valves to adjust environmental settings according to the BMS commands. Meters monitor water, power, and gas usage, highlighting areas where one can save money.
- Software – The software components of a BMS entail the elements that enable data collection, analysis, and management. Controllers have the programs for effective management of building systems. They automatically respond to the real-time data from the hardware components of a BMS.
A BMS collects and processes data from different building appliances. Then, it generates commands to help control the functioning of these appliances. A BMS works based on preset criteria and user inputs. It boasts three levels, including the field, automation, and management. How does a building management system work via these levels? Here is an explanation:
Field
The field is the level at the bottom of the BMS. It has various components, including the e-sensors, actuators, valves, thermostats, IO modules, instruments, etc. How does a building management systems work at the field level? Here are its roles:
- Collecting Data – The field plays a crucial role in data collection. To collect data, the field level uses different sensors. These are devices that control environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature. It also consists of meters that gather consumption and efficiency data on utilities like power and water.
- Actuators – These are things like dampers and valves. They receive control signals from the second BMS level (automation) and use them to physically adjust various components.
- Controllers – These are devices that open or close a valve. They also perform other easy tasks at the field level.
- Communication – The field level consists of signal transmission that conveys gathered data and status updates to the automation layer. It uses Ethernet or hardwired networks to deliver these to the automation layer. A feedback component exists to transmit live reports on the performance and statuses of different systems.
Automation
How does a building management system work? It has a second level known as automation. This level plays many roles, including:
- Receiving and Consolidating Data – The first role of the automation layer is to receive data inputs from devices and sensors within the field layer. From temperature readings to occupancy statuses to flow rates, the automation layer receives all input types. After receiving these inputs, the automation layer has to consolidate them into DDCs (direct digital controllers). The integration process produces a comprehensive view of how the core systems’ status and the current environmental conditions are.
- Processing of Data – How does the building management system work at the automation layer? The aforementioned DDCs will analyze gathered data against preset operational criteria and inputs. For instance, they will examine if environmental conditions like humidity and temperature match the anticipated conditions within the BMS.
- Making Decisions – After data processing, the DDC will make decisions on the actions to take to re-adjust the environmental conditions. They can turn equipment on or off, alter the air flow rate, or change the current valve positions.
- Control Actions – After deciding, the DDCs will now take control actions such as the transmission of signals to the suitable field level device. The control actions help to regulate different systems within the building, promoting optimal living conditions.
Management
How does a building management system work at the management level? You find various communication functions within the management level, including:
- Reporting of Data – The integration of the automation and management layers allows prompt data reporting about the current status of building operations. This level uses an advanced supervisory software tool or Human Machine Interfaces to report data.
- Adjusting and Monitoring – The Human Machine Interfaces help those acting upon the management layer to monitor the entire system’s performance and make adjustments. The management layer generates new operational commands and sends them back to the automation layer to help resolve a crisis. The management level is a human interface consisting of computers and software programs. Users can adjust schedules, setpoints, and various operational parameters. The management level also displays the alarms, exposing their current performance and issues that require immediate correction.
- Control Actions – The management level transmits advanced commands and setpoints to the automation level, prompting execution. It also has an override capability, allowing a human user to manually respond to a given problem.
- Trend Analysis and Reporting – The management layer gathers historical data for interpretation and identification of different trends. This facilitates performance optimization and prediction maintenance. How does a building management system work at this point? After analyzing trends, the management layer will produce reports on system performance, energy usage, flow rate, and other crucial metrics.
Final WordHow does a building management system work? Now you understand that a BMS works via its hardware and software components. It has three levels, including field, automation, and management. Each level works uniquely to boost the performance, security, and comfort of a building. A BMS is a crucial tool for facility management, as it leads to energy savings and occupants’ comfort and safety.
