Building Management System: A comprehensive guide

Introduction

Building management system (BMS) is a vital tool for ensuring efficient and effective operation of modern buildings. Whether it’s a commercial office building, retail store, hotel, manufacturing plant, or warehouse, a BMS can help to monitor, control, and optimize the various systems and components that keep a building running smoothly.

In this blog, we’ll explore the various components of a BMS and how they work together to manage a building. We’ll also take a quick dive into the history of BMS technology, the different types of BMS available, and the key considerations involved in designing and implementing a BMS.

Furthermore, we’ll discuss the importance of maintenance and support for a BMS, the trends and advancements in BMS technology, and what the future might hold for these systems.

Whether you’re an engineer, a facility manager, or simply someone interested in building technology, this blog will provide a comprehensive overview of building management systems and their role in modern facilities management. So let’s get started!

Definition of a building management system (BMS)

A building management system (BMS) is a computer-based control system installed in buildings that monitors and controls a facility’s mechanical and electrical equipment, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, and power systems. The goal of a BMS is to improve the energy efficiency, comfort, and safety of a building and reduce operating costs.

A BMS typically consists of a central control system that is connected to various sensors and actuators located throughout the building. The control system collects data from the sensors and uses this data to adjust the operation of the building’s systems and equipment in real time.

A BMS can be standalone, meaning it controls only a single building or can be integrated with other systems to control multiple buildings or even an entire campus. An advanced BMS can also be IoT-based or cloud-based, which is hosted on a remote server and accessed via the internet rather than installed on-site.

Overview of the various components that make up a BMS

1. Hardware components:

Control panel: This is the central hub of the BMS. It’s responsible for collecting data from the sensors, processing it, and issuing commands to the actuators. The control panel can be a standalone computer or a network of computers and is typically located in a secure room within the building.

Sensors: These are the devices that measure various parameters within the building, such as temperature, humidity, occupancy, energy usage, etc. Sensors are typically connected to the control panel via wired or wireless networks.

Actuators: These are the devices that carry out the commands issued by the control panel, such as switching the lights, adjusting the temperature of an area, etc. Actuators can be electrical or mechanical in nature.

2. Software components:

Operating system: This is the underlying software that powers the control panel and enables it to communicate with the sensors and actuators.

BMS software: This is the application software that runs on top of the operating system and provides the functionality specific to the BMS, such as data collection, analysis, and control. BMS software can be proprietary, meaning it’s developed by the manufacturer of the BMS, or it can be open source, meaning it’s developed and maintained by a community of users.

User interface: This is the interface that users, such as facility managers or building operators, interact with to monitor and control the building management system. The user interface can be a web-based portal, a mobile app, or a physical panel.

3. Communication infrastructure:

Network: This is the infrastructure that interconnects the various components of the BMS, such as the control panel, sensors, and

 actuators. The network can be wired or wireless and can use a variety of protocols, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, BACnet, Modbus, etc.

Gateway: This is a device that connects the BMS to other systems or networks, such as the internet, user dashboard, or a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. The gateway acts as a translator, enabling the BMS to communicate with these other systems using different protocols.

Benefits of using an advanced BMS

1. Energy efficiency

A BMS can help to optimize the operation of a building’s mechanical and electrical systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, power systems, etc.

By automatically turning off lights and equipment when they are not needed and by adjusting the temperature and humidity of a building based on occupancy and other factors, a BMS can significantly reduce a building’s energy consumption and lower its energy bills.

2. Comfort

A BMS can help maintain a comfortable environment for building occupants by controlling the building’s temperature, humidity, and air quality. It can also ensure that the lighting in a building is appropriate for the task at hand and that the building’s systems are operating smoothly.

3. Safety

A BMS can help to ensure the safety of a building’s occupants by detecting and responding to emergencies, such as fires, leaks, or power outages. It can also help to prevent accidents by automatically shutting off equipment when it’s not in use or by alerting maintenance staff when equipment needs to be serviced.

4. Reduced operating costs

By optimizing the operation of a building’s systems and equipment, a BMS can help to reduce the cost of maintaining and operating the building. It can also help extend the lifespan of a building’s systems and equipment by detecting and addressing problems before they become major.

5. Improved asset management

A BMS can provide valuable data on the performance and usage of a building’s systems and equipment, which can help facility managers to make informed decisions about maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. It can also help to optimize the scheduling of maintenance activities and to reduce the risk of equipment failure.

6. Enhanced security

A BMS can help to secure a building by controlling access to the building and its various areas and by monitoring for unusual activity. It can also help protect against unauthorized access to the BMS by implementing secure authentication and access controls.

History of building management systems

The history of building management systems (BMS) can be traced back to the early days of building automation when simple control systems were used to regulate the temperature and ventilation of large public buildings.

One of the first known examples of a building automation system is the “pneumatic tube system“, developed in the late 19th century, which used a network of tubes to transmit control signals from a central panel to pneumatic actuators located throughout the building. These actuators would then open or close dampers and valves to adjust the air and steam flow in the building’s heating and ventilation systems.

Evolution of Building Management Systems (BMS) technology over time

Over the years, BMS technology has evolved significantly, with the introduction of new sensors, actuators, and control algorithms that enable more sophisticated and efficient control of a building’s systems. Some of the key milestones in the history of BMS include:

The 1950s: The development of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which are small, rugged computers that can be programmed to control industrial processes. PLCs became widely used in building automation systems.

The 1970s: The development of the building automation system (BAS), a computer-based control system that monitors and controls mechanical and electrical systems. BAS systems became popular in the 1980s as they provided a more flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional hardwired control systems.

The 1980s: The development of the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, which is a type of BMS that is used to monitor and control large, complex facilities, such as power plants, water treatment plants, and manufacturing plants. SCADA systems became popular in the 1990s, as they provided a way to remotely monitor and control geographically dispersed systems.

The 1990s: The development of the internet made it possible to remotely access and control building automation systems using webbased interfaces. This enabled facility managers to monitor and control their buildings from anywhere with an internet connection.

The 2000s: The development of cloud-based BMS, hosted on a remote server and accessed via the internet rather than being installed on-site. IoT-based BMS became popular in the 2010s, as they provided a costeffective and scalable solution for managing multiple buildings or even an entire campus.