Building Management System (BMS)
Modern commercial buildings today contain diverse technical subsystems to automate or monitor the different aspects of the building. Most common subsystems include
- Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning System (HVAC) to maintain a comfortable indoor climate
- Fire and smoke detection systems to ensure safety of the building users
- Intrusion detection and video surveillance system to prevent unauthorized access to the building
- Access control systems to grant or revoke access of building users to defined areas of the building
- Lighting and blind control system
- Guest room management system
In the past, BMS systems focused mainly on the HVAC aspect of the building or were limited to solutions from a single manufacturer, for various reasons: Proprietary protocols did not allow the easy integration of systems. Additionally, in some countries, different systems are parts of different trades, which follow separate tendering processes (e.g., HVAC versus electrical installation channel). Even in such non-integrated installations, systems linked to a BMS typically represent 40% of a building's energy usage.
If lighting is included, this number approaches 70%, which makes modern integrated BMS systems a critical component for managing the energy demand. Today's markets are therefore moving towards integrated BMS solutions. CentraLine with its Niagara-based BMS system uses modern IoT technologies to provide significant value add to the customers through cross-system integration. The benefits extend beyond just the management of energy while providing comfortable indoor conditions.
