Building Automation Systems: Better Control for Greater Efficiency

(This article is part of the Roadmap 2 Summer Series. Click here to read last week’s article.)

Finding performance-improving solutions for buildings is important all year long, but it's especially critical in the summer. The increased demand on your building and its systems can result in significantly higher utility costs. But there is good news. Your building is full of potential, and it provides many sources of valuable data that can be used to gain insight into performance.

Technology and connectivity of building systems makes it easier than ever before to gather the data you need. Utilizing building controls and energy management strategies can transform your building into an asset that positively impacts your bottom line — so you can stay cool through summer’s hottest months.

Better control for greater efficiency

Gaining improved control over your building and equipment starts with your building automation system (BAS). Implementing a building energy management system (BEMS) takes you a step further - making it possible to connect your building’s performance to your business results with the right solution.

Your BAS is the tool that starts to make connections.,

For example, Trane BAS solutions provide remote access to your building, and the web-enabled capabilities provide access to building systems from virtually anywhere using a tablet or smartphone, resulting in more responsive building control. Building automation also offers a range of functionality and control, including customizable alarm notifications, 365-day scheduling, area control, and optimal start and stop features.

When you’re ready, a Trane BAS also enables the utilization of energy management solutions such as Trane Intelligent Services, providing real-time monitoring of all energy-related data gathered in your building, energy analytics and automated fault detection. These building energy management services (BEMS) make it easier to monitor data and gain insights into your building’s performance and usage to help drive efficiency improvements and reduce energy costs..

Here's the bottom line: comprehensive BEMS solutions can use the varied information that comes from your BAS and from electrical sub-systems in your building to improve performance and efficiency.

Early warning of issues

A well-designed energy management system allows you to monitor equipment data and visualize problems as they are happening — sometimes in nearly real time. Sub-metering technology can provide data on how much energy a particular piece of equipment is using at any given time, helping you spot trends or inconsistencies.

A solution with multiple layers of intelligence built in — utilizing sensor information, unit-level performance data, system performance data and even electricity consumption by each piece of equipment — helps you determine how your building or system is operating.

These solutions can be especially helpful in tracking and managing peak demand, which is a major factor in driving your summer utility bills. Knowing when your building is utilizing the most energy and being able to better manage that — and potentially distribute the demand to different times of the day — can help you significantly reduce your costs.

It’s hard to fix what you can’t observe and measure. This visibility into what’s happening in your building helps you address issues in a timely manner, saving significant time and money. Alarms can be monitored and/or sent to servicing contractors, and problems can be fixed before occupants become uncomfortable or in some cases even realize there was a problem.

Building control benefits the bottom line

Implementing energy management solutions can save 10 to 20 percent in energy costs — and sometimes even more — in many commercial buildings. Trane can help you optimize your building controls and add the right energy management solutions, so you can beat the summer heat and reduce your energy bills.

The end result is a complete building energy management solution tailored to your specific needs that delivers improved building performance while maintaining occupant comfort, reducing operating costs and implementing sustainable outcomes.

Join us next week when we discuss monitoring your building’s performance so you can stay cool this summer.

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