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For many of us involved day to day with the design, installation, and operation of BAS, it often seems like there has been little in terms of new products and [...]

Cyber attacks are becoming more common and brazen. You may already have been a victim of one of these attacks and only find out when your credit card company calls [...]

For many retrofit projects, the use of a VFD seems like a 'no brainer.' Drives are now cheaper and more reliable than ever, and the benefits of efficient control of [...]

'The industry needs to get together to integrate or at least educate all of the people that are involved. The owner cannot integrate the industry, the architect cannot integrate the [...]

In the first half of this series, we looked at the definition of an intelligent building and what was necessary in the design process to ensure that the intelligent attributes [...]

Over the last 20 years, there has been a lot of discussion and debate about the concept of an 'intelligent building.' Work has gone on in many forums to define [...]

As we begin a new year, it is good to stop for a moment and take stock of the past year as we look to the next. For those involved [...]

During the past 12 years, 1 have had the opportunity to work on many controls projects. Many of these were large systems integrations projects, but others were more typical projects, [...]

While it seems like just yesterday, it is now 21 years since the BACnet standard, ASHRAE 135, was approved and published. Since then, much has happened. We had a brief, [...]

There is a great line in the classic 1980's movie Top Gun, where Maverick says to his co-pilot, Goose, 'I feel the need,' and they then say in unison 'the [...]

A few months ago, this column covered the basics of developing effective control system sequences. You might recall that it discussed the process of how a designer needs to select [...]

There is a fair amount of press about the concept of the 'Internet of Things'--or as it is commonly abbreviated, IOT. The concept of IOT is simply defined as a [...]

One of the most important factors in the efficiency of any HVAC system is the selection and implementation of the proper control sequence of operations. Control sequences are the responsibility [...]

We have reached the point where any new (or replacement) BAS is expected to support one or more open protocols. It also is an expectation that when we specify large [...]

We almost always think about the BAS as a tool that is a critical part of energy management, so these systems are typically focused on those systems that directly use [...]

* Following a tragic fire in a Las Vegas hotel in the 1980's, the industry recognized the dangers to occupants from smoke inhalation during a fire emergency. This spurred the [...]

Generally, when we think about BAS, it is in the context of large commercial buildings, those well over 25,000 sq ft. According to the latest government data though (from the [...]

The proper management of outdoor air is an ongoing challenge for commercial buildings, and one of the key functions that needs to be managed by a building automation system. Controlling [...]

When the movie Back to the Future Part II came out in 1989, the screenwriters had to imagine the world in 2015. The resulting movie shows a world with fax [...]

Central energy plants--consisting of chillers, boilers and associated towers, pumps, and accessories --require a large capital investment and are energy-intense. The goal of these plants is to provide a reliable [...]

There have been tremendous improvements in the efficiency of lighting over the last 20 years. The movement from older technologies such as incandescent, halogen, CFL, and fluorescent with magnetic ballasts [...]

This summer marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of ASHRAE Standard 135--better known as 'BACnet.' Over the past two decades, the building automation industry has largely been transformed from [...]

Sensors are a key part of any control system and have an impact on the cost, stability, and accuracy of any control system. But they are also something that frankly [...]

Few areas in a hospital have more critical control needs then those where surgical procedures occur. These areas have exact requirements for temperature, humidity, pressurization, and ventilation. The drivers for [...]

Few areas can be as tough to condition as pools and ice rinks. Indoor pools, or natatoriums, need to be able to maintain a space temperature warmer than the water [...]

Generally, when we think about BAS or system integration projects, they are for larger projects such as schools, office buildings, and hospitals that are 50,000 sq ft or larger. These [...]

Upgrade or replace? Consider these points when it's time to decide. On average, Americans keep their smartphones for two years before trading up to the latest model. Laptop computers have [...]

The use of chemical and biological agents often requires a laboratory fume hood for conducting experiments and storage of dangerous materials. You will find these hoods in facilities ranging from [...]

This summer, we did a series of columns in Engineered Systems and a webinar on how to optimize buildings with the use of BAS. The focus was on a series [...]

The concept of an intelligent, smart, or 'next generation' buildings was first proposed back in the 1980s, and discussions and promotion have continued ever since. In many ways, this concept [...]

Job Posting: Building Systems Architect Responsibilities: * Work closely with the building owner and operator to understand the building's operational needs * Evaluate potential technologies for meeting these goals * [...]

In theory, a BAS provides all of the hardware and software required to analyze and operate all functions within a building. In reality, though, what most of these systems do [...]

One of the challenges we have with commercial buildings is the fine line between providing a safe and healthy indoor environment and maximizing energy efficiency. This challenge is exacerbated when [...]

On several recent projects, we have had control contractors who have promoted the use of pressure-independent control valves (PICV). This has led to some interesting discussions about the costs and [...]

Most commercial building system designs including controls and building automation are carefully constructed to balance between reliability, performance, efficiency, and budget. On all projects, the need to provide reliability, accuracy, [...]

VAV terminal units have been widely used for space comfort conditioning over the last 30 plus years. There are many variations on what you will find for boxes from simple [...]

One of the most interesting new HVAC trends is the use of VRF systems. While the use of these systems is fairly new in North America, they have been deployed [...]

In an effort to improve energy efficiency for commercial buildings, ASHRAE, IES, ANSI, and the DOE have been working diligently to increase the stringency of state energy codes. Today, most [...]

Much of the energy usage in a commercial building can be attributed to systems that are operating under the assumption that the building is 'occupied.' Generally in an occupied mode, [...]

Buildings contain a treasure trove of data. Information is available from a broad variety of systems from HVAC and electrical to utility usage. Much of this information may even be [...]

Each month in this column, we talk about the benefits of control systems and BAS. It might lead the reader to believe that these systems are highly optimized and result [...]

Chances are you have heard about the data breach at Target that occurred late last year, in which customers' information including credit card numbers were * obtained through a cyberattack. [...]

At one time, it might have been acceptable to view controls as a 'necessary evil' with little attention given to the details of design including sequences and commissioning. To deliver [...]

The article informs about the programs designed to alleviate the last-second rush to finalize facility controls sequences in building automation. Topics include prepare all of the necessary drawings and specifications needed for a project; and details to be worked out by the control contractor or during the commissioning and checkout process.

Chilled water plants tend to be one of the most energy intensive areas of a commercial building. These plants can range from fairly basic to very complicated. Despite the importance [...]

Much of our work involves energy studies and retrofits to commercial buildings. We find a variety of systems on these projects, from the original pneumatic systems installed years ago to [...]

You've heard a lot of talk about the deployment of the Smart Grid. Most of the initial smart grid deployments are focused on the deployment of smart meters that enable [...]

* Often when we are evaluating or assessing an existing building, we are on the lookout for equipment and systems that are in poor condition or approaching the end of [...]

* The application of energy recovery units allows for the ability to do total heat recovery and recover both sensible and latent heat from an exhaust air stream, using that [...]

* Recently there has been a lot in the press about 'big data.' Big data comprises government and business servers that are collecting and analyzing massive amounts of data on [...]