Building Management Systems (BMS)

The BMS is a significant differentiator in building outcomes: similar buildings can differ substantially in energy use depending on how that equipment is sequenced. We develop control strategies that reduce consumption and demand cost, including typical and standard energy-efficient sequences to unique strategies leveraging our deep building knowledge. We additionally implement fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) that surface equipment problems as native to the BMS instead of a separate platform.

We design direct digital control (DDC) systems that operate and monitor a building’s mechanical and electrical equipment, including system architecture, controller and field device selection, point lists, and the operator interface. Our engineers write detailed, project-specific, and equipment-specific sequences of operations. Every design is scaled to the facility’s complexity, operating staff, and long-term performance goals.

We specify open, standards-based systems using BACnet and Niagara Frameworks and bring third-party equipment and systems (chillers, boilers, generators, lighting controls, metering, and smart building platforms) onto a single coordinated BMS platform. Open and interoperable systems help protect owners from vendor lock-in.

Central plants and process-critical equipment often call for programmable logic controllers rather than conventional DDC to take advantage of the inherent redundancy and robustness provided by PLC product lines. We design PLC-based control systems and panels for chilled water, heating, and steam plants and other high-availability applications, and integrate them with the BMS so operators work from a single interface.

Network architecture is owned by the client’s IT organization. We support the design and integration of the BMS onto that network. We design the network to meet client IT standards, and where separate standalone or operational technology (OT) networks are required, we leverage our experience to design robust systems.

Controls generate a substantial portion of the measurement and documentation that green building certifications depend on. We design the metering, trending, alarming, and reporting required for LEED credits in energy and atmosphere, including advanced energy metering, demand response, and enhanced commissioning. WELL features that require continuous monitoring include indoor air quality, ventilation effectiveness, and thermal comfort. We coordinate with the project’s sustainability and commissioning consultants during design, so the design conforms with selected credits.

We evaluate installed controls infrastructure (controllers, field devices, networks, and front ends) and develop phased master plans for migration, head-end replacement, and integration of legacy systems that keep buildings running while they are upgraded. For owners managing multiple buildings, we develop portfolio-wide BMS standards covering system architecture, specifications, point naming, graphics, and alarm conventions, so every project delivers a consistent, supportable system.

Controls are only as good as what gets installed. Our engineers carry the design from schematic design through construction administration, submittal and shop drawing review, point-to-point verification, functional testing, and owner training and turnover, at whatever level of involvement a project calls for. We coordinate throughout with our mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and technology disciplines.