4 Questions To Ask Before Buying a New BAS

September 27, 2017

Published in News

From: Building Automation: 4 Questions To Ask Before Buying a New BAS, FacilitiesNet

An obsolete building automation systems can cost you time and money, but make sure you know what you want and what you'll get when you're ready for an upgrade.

It’s the central nervous system of the building. The brains of the operation. Call it what you will, a facility’s controls can make the day-to-day decisions when it comes to matters ranging from energy efficiency to comfort to security. With today’s quest to streamline and integrate building systems and their operations, understanding the pitfalls and weaknesses of a building’s controls systems is more important than ever.

One example is Target’s 2013 data breach. Hackers penetrated the retailer’s network through the HVAC contractor’s credentials, ultimately resulting in as many as 110 million compromised customer credit and debit card numbers. While this example is extreme, it illustrates the power of the controls system, and the potential damage that can be caused, when it isn’t properly implemented and secured.

Building controls come in different flavors. There are proprietary systems, open systems, and a wide spectrum in between. A simple building automation system (BAS) can provide basic on-off scheduling and if-then functionality, while a more sophisticated controls system can provide extensive energy analytics, automated fault detection and diagnostics, and integration of lighting controls, security, and more.