What Is Building Automation?

Like most buildings, yours has more than one kind of energy-using system—commercial HVAC, lighting, boilers—which sucks up a sizable chunk of your operating budget. Sometimes, the high expense of running one or more large energy systems can put the business in financial jeopardy. In addition to energy bills, people occupying the space (employees, tenants) can experience regular discomfort due to poor indoor air quality and uneven temperatures as a direct result of equipment not being properly maintained or controlled. This issue has a lot to do with building owners not having insight into how their energy system equipment works.

Inefficient commercial equipment causes indoor discomfort for building occupants, which is liable to cost businesses big time. In most cases, production drops and systems may need costly repairs or replacement. One way to solve the problem is by investing in building automation system controls.

So, what is this possible fix? Here’s what you need to know about building automation in Phoenix so you can improve your building’s efficiency.

Definition, equipment and controls

Building automation systems are designed to keep a variety of systems operating efficiently. They are networks of microprocessor-based wired or wireless controllers connected to any number of energy-using systems in a building to help manage equipment and get a handle on the business’ energy expense.

Building automation system controls have access to information related to equipment performance. They also give all users the ability to schedule equipment and control it more easily. You can connect your mobile device to the building automation system, which is a quick and easy way to analyze your building’s energy systems’ data, trends and usage history, as well as schedule operation times and troubleshoot.

Building automation system controls can be added to all types of equipment, including heat pumps, boilers, air handling units, rooftop units, coolers, exhaust fans, radiators and more. Practical items like gas detection and water leak sensors can be added to a system to notify personnel of any failures or leaks.

Remote user interface

Today’s building automation system control technology is way more advanced than earlier systems. At one time, for example, companies would license single-use software on one stationary computer, which restricted who could use it and where the system could be accessed. Also, the software came with an expensive annual fee. Today’s browser-based systems can be used on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones, giving users instant access to data and the ability to make adjustments to the system remotely from anywhere in the world.

User benefits

The top benefits of having building automation system controls include improved building occupant comfort, noticeable reduction in energy consumption and operating costs and more efficient operation of your building’s systems and equipment. New control systems take on the responsibility of maintaining the efficiency of the equipment so employees can use their time for more important tasks leading to business success.

Don’t hesitate to contact Southwest System Monitoring, Inc. to learn more about building automation for your Phoenix business. We’d love to discuss how our systems can benefit your company!

Categorised in: Building Automation

This post was written by Writer