Building Management Systems for Sustainable Environment
Published on : Monday 09-10-2023
Industrial Automation discovers how Building Management Systems drive sustainability and enable data-driven decisions for efficient building operations.
Reducing carbon footprints and creating a sustainable built environment have become indispensable today. Building Management System (BMS) has emerged as one of the critical solutions for sustainable buildings. If you are wondering how BMS can contribute towards a sustainable environment, this comprehensive report is for you. In this report, you will understand what BMS actually is, its benefits, components, and roles toward decarbonisation and a sustainable built environment.
As there are various significant benefits to a Building Management System such as how it helps improve reporting and information management, the BMS market is quite impressive and holds crucial growth potential. According to the Verified Market Research report, the global Building Management System market is forecast to reach US$48.79 billion by 2030 from US$14.33 billion in 2021. The market is growing at a CAGR of 14.64% during the projected duration.
Understanding Building Management System
The term ‘BMS’ or ‘Building Management System’ refers to a computer-based system installed to centrally monitor and manage every aspect of a building. It incorporates technologies to reduce waste, increase productivity, and support sustainability objectives. Building managers and owners can use BMS to optimise temperature, airflow, and ventilation in real time, ensuring occupant comfort while consuming less energy.
Building Management System (BMS) plays a crucial role in achieving the Paris Agreement's climate change goals and the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 by reducing carbon emissions in buildings. According to a World Economic Forum (WEF) report published in September 2021, buildings account for 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions, including 28% from operational emissions and 11% from building materials and construction.
This is where BMS can assist businesses in reducing energy, carbon, and costs while also operating their facilities in a more sustainable manner. Often referred to as a Building Automation System (BAS) or Energy Management System (EMS), the BMS monitors and manages a building's mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical systems. These systems include heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, security, and fire safety, among others. BMS makes use of sensors, controllers, and software to gather information, make choices, and enhance building performance.
The role of Building Management System
BMS encompasses a wider range of tasks, such as renewable energy integration, HVAC control, and lighting management. Building Automation and Management Systems' intelligent lighting control features contribute to sustainability. By enabling automatic dimming, occupancy-based lighting, and daylight harvesting, these systems make it possible to use lighting effectively, leading to significant energy savings and diminished environmental impact.
Integration of renewable energy is another area where BMS is crucial. These systems efficiently manage production, storage, and consumption by integrating with solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable energy sources. BAS and BMS promote a sustainable energy ecosystem by maximising the use of renewable energy sources, which lessens reliance on fossil fuels.
According to an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report from 2014, buildings present the most practical means of cutting emissions across all sectors.
A building management system (BMS) has several important components, including:
i. Boiler controls that regulate temperature and turn boilers on and off at predetermined intervals.
ii. HVAC regulates fans, dampers, air handling units, and fan coil units to keep the air at a specific temperature and humidity level.
iii. Lighting control, which follows a predetermined schedule to turn lights on and off.
iv. Electric power control manages and observes the main mechanical and electrical apparatus.
v. Heating maintains a predetermined temperature by scheduling system on and off times.
vi. Ventilation, which is changed in accordance with occupancy controls.
vii. Security and observation include access control, surveillance, and intrusion detection.
viii. Fire alarm system that works as a smoke control system; active alarm locations.
ix. Elevators have an elevator video display and a status system.
x. Plumbing and water monitoring detects hydraulic flows, automatically opens and closes valves, and monitors/observes temperature deviations.
In addition to these components, numerous building management systems also include other features and capabilities. Some may even be created especially for the building. For monitoring and management, these kinds of systems typically employ a mix of hardware and software, including a central server or servers, supervising stations (for systems administrators), remote sensors, and software that enables user interaction.
How can BMS benefit businesses?
A building management system (BMS) can provide users with access to data on demand and usage patterns within a building, giving business owners insights that could reduce energy waste. BMS may provide functionality that some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will never use owing to the size or purpose of their building.
According to the Carbon Trust, an expert partner for businesses, governments, and organisations around the world assisting them in decarbonising and accelerating to Net Zero, you should consider whether a BMS is likely to significantly improve energy management. Smart thermostats or smart lighting, for example, may be sufficient to help you achieve energy efficiency or reduce costs. A BMS is especially useful in larger buildings with an energy bill in excess of £10,000 because it allows settings to be changed quickly and easily, and it can provide an appropriate and cost-effective solution.
Like any other IT system, BMS also has risks. It could fail or be vulnerable to malware. It needs to be maintained and properly trained. If something goes wrong, businesses must consider any legal ramifications or liability.
It is essential to check that your building management system is set to operate during regular business hours so it can alert you to higher-than-expected energy use if you want to get the most out of it. Businesses need to make sure their BMS can integrate automated features like presence detectors to control lighting, ventilation, and heating. Additionally, they must guarantee that the software is current and well-maintained.
Real-world case studies
Building Management System implementation will require an initial outlay on hardware and software in addition to a dedicated investment that may result in both short- and long-term cost savings and efficiencies. BMS aids in reducing energy waste, boosting productivity, and incorporating renewable energy sources. In the direction of a sustainable environment, many businesses are setting the pace. Here, we have provided you with some actual case studies that will help you better understand how BMS helps cut carbon emissions and accomplish sustainability goals.
Honeywell – University Health Network (UHN) of Toronto
The University Health Network (UHN) of Toronto, the largest medical research organisation in North America, encountered difficulties when trying to replace the outdated controller system that has been patched together over many years. Additionally, the research organisation wanted to upgrade and improve the same small panel area, monitor about 60 points with the potential for more in the future, and integrate about 40 VAV Units (variable air volume) with a controller that must include a physical Hand-Off-Auto (HOA) switch.
UHN discovered the Niagara-based Honeywell CIPer 50 Plant Controller after weighing its options. The CIPer 50 includes HOA switches and I/O modules. So, with a license to scale to 400 points, it proved to be more cost-effective than other solutions while also providing more front-end functionality. The CIPer 50 panel also has a significant impact on improving the old system's haphazard wiring, allowing installers to avoid the nightmare of home-running all the wires back to the controller.
Ultimately, AIRON and Honeywell created a panel that easily fits the CIPer 50, its small I/O modules, and a WEB-8000 Controller to connect the system to a Niagara 4 platform in the small installation area. With the WEBs-N4 system, the University Health Network (UHN) of Toronto gained greater automation and efficiency than they had anticipated, with a lot of room for future adaptation.
L&T – Hyderabad Metro Rail
To address the city's growing demand for public transportation and increasing traffic, the Hyderabad government sought to establish a well-planned public transportation infrastructure through the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project. L&T was given the task of implementing this important national project. It included three high-density Metro corridors totaling 71.16 km in length, as well as 66 ultra-modern station buildings, state-of-the-art depots, and complete infrastructure.
L&T Electrical & Automation's Control & Automation (C&A) Business Unit collaborated with HMRL to deliver an Integrated Building Management System (IBMS) at all 66 stations, the Admin Operation Control Centre (OCC), and two depots to assist the railways in meeting their technological needs.
At 66 ultra-modern stations and 3 depots, C&A was in charge of designing, engineering, supplying, installing, testing, commissioning, and supporting the life cycle of the Integrated Building Management System (IBMS), which included establishing an OCC and backup Control Centre (BCC). For monitoring and controlling various station building parameters, C&A has installed its cutting-edge i Vision max SCADA suite at each of the stations and depots, along with RTUs set up in redundant architecture. At OCC and BCC, the I Vision Max SCADA suite is deployed in a redundant architecture alongside an ORACLE RDBMS-based Historian in a disaster recovery configuration.
A total of 63000+ I/Os, 321 control panels, and 1600+ instruments across all stations are controlled and monitored by C&A'si Vision max IBMS solution. The infrastructure and expansion needs of the Hyderabad Metro Rail are perfectly met by the system architecture.
It provided significant benefits such as ease of operation and improved reliability; total system integration with a single interface; enhanced service delivery; better utilisation of power and human resources; and effective incident management in the event of accidents or emergencies. Additionally, the solution provided a clear understanding and control over energy consumption, which aids in cost reduction.
Other benefits include:
i. Convenience for operators and passengers, resulting in customer satisfaction
ii. Improved operation and maintenance thanks to centralised visualisation of all station parameters and data, and
iii. Enhanced performance and control, resulting in operational synergies and reduced complexity across the Metro facility's lifecycle.
Honeywell – CitizenM
Dedicated to fostering environmental responsibility, CitizenM is an affordable luxury hotel brand headquartered in the Netherlands. The company sought to maintain guest comfort while reducing energy use to achieve best-in-class results, drive an RoI of three years or less, and ensure that properties could be monitored remotely and problems were fixed before the comfort of the guests was jeopardised.
For better energy and operational efficiency, CitizenM chose TSI to upgrade their original US property in Times Square. As partners on prior successful hotel BMS systems, TSI relied on both Honeywell and Universal Supply as their reliable suppliers for the Times Square project. For the existing four-pipe system, chillers, cooling towers, and boilers to operate at peak efficiency, a fully programmable system was required.
A Honeywell JACE system serves as the central control, coordinating individual controllers and communicating with chillers, boilers, and air handling units. To improve the efficiency of the cooling system's water flow, Honeywell variable frequency drives were installed. Since cooling accounts for over 60% of the electric load, cooling efficiency is always the main concern.
The Honeywell system's programmability enables TSI to use their cutting-edge algorithms to reduce energy use as the weather and occupancy change. The savings in energy that CitizenM realized were greater than the initial 3-year hurdle rate and are anticipated to have a 1.5-year RoI. The hotel exceeded its objectives during the changeover with no impact on guests, demonstrating to the world how a young, innovative hospitality brand can raise the bar for the sector.
Top Players specialising in BMS
Many businesses specialise in offering Building Management Systems (BMS) and related solutions to support sustainability in building operations. Some of the top Building Management System players in India and around the world are: Truvic, Bajaj Electricals, Bosch, Honeywell, Cisco, Schneider Electric, Emerson Electric, Siemens, Building Logix, Johnson Controls and United Technologies.
Building Management System Services are the core component of any business or organisation that focuses on customer service and business operations. In recent years, building management systems have undergone significant advancements. One of the main drivers of the growth of the global BMS industry is the flexibility provided by different building management systems. The BMS market appears to be quite fragmented, which will lead to fierce competition in the coming years as different national and international players concentrate on growing their customer bases through acquisitions or strategic alliances with local or regional players.
The way forward
The United Nations 1987 report of the ‘World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future’ stated that “sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the well-being of future generations.”
In the modern era, building management systems have become essential tools for developing sustainable environments. BMS contributes significantly to reducing a building's environmental footprint by optimising energy use, improving indoor environmental quality, integrating renewable energy sources, facilitating data-driven decision-making, and enabling remote monitoring and control.
From significantly lowering operational costs to providing intensive security solutions, BMS would pique the interest of more and more businesses in implementing it, allowing them to contribute to a more sustainable environment. Since BMS focuses primarily on streamlining and improving business efficiency and enhancing reporting and information management, Industrial Automation believes that it has a bright future and will gain more prominence in the coming days.
References
i. https://medium.com/@knowyourbuilding0/building-automation-systems-and-building-management-systems-driving-sustainability-through-carbon-7e5252754a1f
ii. https://www.lombard.co.uk/insights/sustainability/climate/a-quick-green-guide-to-building-management-systems.html
iii. https://www.gbrionline.org/building-management-system/
iv. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2699767
v. https://buildings.honeywell.com/us/en/brands/our-brands/bms/resources/case_study_library
vi. https://www.lntebg.com/CANVAS/canvas/LT-CA-Integrated-Building-Management-System-for-Hyderabad-Metro-Rail.aspx
