A building control system is the best way to save money on operating costs, reduce manual labor, and boost energy efficiency. But in order to reap those benefits, you need to know which building control system is right for your facility.
Planning a building control system means identifying your building's needs and determining what systems to upgrade. Maybe you own a cold storage warehouse with strict temperature requirements, or you're looking for a way to reduce electricity consumption at your commercial office complex.
What Is a Building Control System?
A building control system (BCS), also called a building automation system or BAS, is a computer-based network that integrates a facility’s electrical and mechanical systems into one cohesive system for easier management.
The most beneficial systems to incorporate into a building control system are HVAC systems, emergency systems, lighting systems, energy monitoring systems, and security systems. By automating these, building owners:
- Improve the building’s energy efficiency
- Save money on operating costs and electricity bills
- Improve temperature regulation for occupant comfort
- Extend the lifespan of building systems
A BCS provides automated control solutions in one centralized hub. Business owners all over the country are investing in building control systems to monitor energy use, control lights, run diagnostics, and more.
Industrial Building Control Systems
Industrial manufacturing plants, cold storage facilities, and data centers have heavy machinery perfect for integrating into a BCS. A BCS saves money on equipment maintenance, whether it controls temperatures in a server farm or issues alerts when a factory’s production equipment needs an inspection.
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems keep workers comfortable and industrial equipment running efficiently. Using a BCS to monitor building occupancy and automatically shut off heating and air conditioning in empty rooms can reduce utility bills by 10-30%.
Emergency Systems
Industrial plants that use chemicals or produce toxic waste must adhere to strict safety standards. A building automation system controls sanitation protocols and monitors chemical leaks to activate safety procedures immediately. Some may automatically shut down equipment that might cause further catastrophe.
Lighting Systems
Motion sensors around the industrial building allow BCS-controlled lighting systems to detect occupancy. The lights turn off automatically when no one’s there, then switch on again when someone enters, saving up to 20% on electricity costs.
Energy Monitoring and Diagnostics
In small and large industrial buildings, building automation saves on energy costs and ensures that industrial manufacturing equipment, refrigeration units, and more run optimally by generating energy audits.
Security Systems
Industrial complexes use security systems with internet-of-things-connected sensors and devices. These can be compromised, so a BCS with state-of-the-art cybersecurity practices from one central control system protects your building in the short term and makes upgrading and maintaining the system easier.
Hospital Building Control Systems
A BCS for hospitals automates ventilation, sanitation protocols, air purification, sterilization equipment, and more to keep the hospital running smoothly and improve energy efficiency.
A BCS adapted to the unique needs of emergency wards, ICUs, and operating rooms reduces energy costs while providing quality patient care.
HVAC
Some hospital wards may require HEPA-grade air purifiers, and operating rooms often need sterilized air. A BCS simplifies monitoring and maintaining the hospital’s HVAC system and reduces energy costs by shutting off air conditioning or heating in unoccupied rooms.
Emergency Systems
A hospital must have 24/7 access to electricity and clean water, requiring reliable generators that kick on during power outages. A hospital BCS enables constant monitoring of the backup generators to detect any issues and can switch the generators on when required.
Lighting Systems
Automated lighting systems improve patient care and increase staff efficiency by automatically adjusting a room’s light levels. They also reduce energy costs and improve the facility’s sustainability by turning off lights in unused private rooms.
Energy Monitoring and Diagnostics
With a BCS that controls the lights and HVAC system, you can better monitor and manage your hospital’s energy use. By reducing energy waste and diagnosing problems, you can devote more funds to patient care instead of constant maintenance.
Security Systems
Hospital security is vital for both patients and staff. A hospital BCS can include automated access control systems with ID badges, RFID tags, and easily accessible panic buttons.
Commercial Building Control Systems
Commercial buildings like retail stores, apartment complexes, and office buildings experience numerous benefits by installing or upgrading to a modern building control system.
HVAC
Large commercial buildings like offices, strip malls, and hotels must stay cool for employees and customers, but most sit empty overnight or at off-peak hours. With time-of-day monitoring, a BCS turns off air conditioning when employees leave for the day to prevent energy waste.
Small commercial buildings may not need a full-scale BCS but benefit from automating the HVAC system with batch scheduling, temperature controls, and thermostat lockouts.
Emergency Systems
Occupant safety is among the highest priorities for any commercial property manager. Commercial buildings’ BCS control fire alarms and sprinklers. When you automate these emergency systems, you maximize the level of employee and customer protection.
Lighting Systems
Lights make up 50-75% of office building electricity usage. Automated lighting controls set schedules for different areas to dim overhead lights based on natural daylight coming through windows. This one automated building control can drastically reduce your business’s carbon footprint.
Energy Monitoring and Diagnostics
In large commercial buildings, office equipment, TVs, refrigerators, store signage, and parking lot lights guzzle energy and cause your electric bills to skyrocket. With 24/7 monitoring and diagnostics, you can see how to improve energy use.
Security Systems
Commercial buildings require extensive security measures to protect intellectual property, merchandise, and equipment. Security guards can’t be everywhere at once, but a commercial BCS automates access control to restricted areas, RFID security passes, and CCTV monitoring throughout the building.
Warehouse Building Control Systems
From climate-controlled warehouses for food distribution to pack-and-ship e-commerce warehouses, these large buildings require heavy-duty HVAC systems, tight security, and huge amounts of electricity. A BCS consolidating refrigeration, security, and lighting can reduce energy use.
HVAC
A building automation system for a warehouse uses air handlers, sensors, and smart thermostats to ensure that temperature-sensitive merchandise, like food and beverages, stays cold. A BCS can stagger its daily powering-on program in large warehouses to reduce peak load and energy bills.
Emergency Systems
In a climate-controlled warehouse, temperature fluctuations can be just as disastrous as fires or other emergencies. BAS-controlled emergency systems issue alerts when refrigeration systems break and turn on backup generators to keep merchandise safe.
Lighting Systems
Fulfillment warehouses require excellent lighting for workers to perform tasks efficiently. Working in tandem with other systems, a BCS provides proper illumination throughout the day and during emergencies.
Energy Monitoring and Diagnostics
Without a building control system, a warehouse can run up exorbitant electric bills, particularly if the warehouse stores cold merchandise, like food. Building control systems monitor warehouse equipment and refrigeration systems, showing you when systems aren’t performing optimally.
Security Systems
A building automation system with motion sensors, floodlights, and alarms makes your warehouse safer by preventing theft or automatically dialing police during a break-in.
Large-Scale Agricultural Operations Building Control Systems
Agricultural operations from commercial farms or chicken factories benefit from building control systems that automate feeding animals, watering plants, and keeping lights on to nurture hydroponic plants.
Agricultural buildings can boost harvest yields and increase energy efficiency by investing in a BCS that monitors hydration, soil conditions, and plant growth.
HVAC
Seeds, plants, and animals require specific temperatures to grow. An agricultural building control system ensures maximum heating and cooling efficiency, whether you’re incubating baby chicks or growing crops.
Emergency Systems
Leaking irrigation pipes or a blockage in an animal’s feed dispenser could be catastrophic in an agricultural building. A building automation and control system with field sensors connected via WiFi monitor conditions and set off alarms to alert employees when it detects over-watering, under-fertilization, or other issues.
Lighting Systems
Some plants may require bright UV light, while others need warming lights for only a few hours a day. An automated building controls will ensure the lighting adjusts efficiently to the work environment.
Energy Monitoring and Diagnostics
A large-scale agricultural operation might comprise multiple buildings and fields. A BCS integrates with sensors and systems in various locations to track energy and water use from one central dashboard. You can even monitor energy use and run diagnostics from a mobile device while out on the property.
Security Systems
Most agricultural operations take up acres of land, which requires a vast, interconnected security system. A BCS with motion-sensor cameras placed at driveways, equipment storage, and greenhouses detects intruders and keeps the property secure.
Grow Houses
Plants require careful climate control, irrigation, lighting, and fertilization, whether in a commercial grow house, cannabis greenhouse, or bioresearch lab. A BCS automates every aspect of plant care to prevent human error, improve yields, and ensure plant health.
HVAC
Grow houses require highly efficient heating and cooling to promote healthy growth. A BAS ensures that the indoor climate is perfect for the crop and sets different temperatures in different grow houses.
Emergency Systems
Grow house emergencies like power outages, water spills, or over-fertilized plants cost thousands in lost profits. A BCS monitors lighting, irrigation, and fertigation systems to detect abnormalities and immediately alert you to prevent costly problems.
Lighting Systems
Without direct sunlight, plants in grow houses rely on artificial lights to give them nutrients to grow. A BCS allows you to automate UV lights for hydroponic plants and detect burnt-out bulbs.
Energy Monitoring and Diagnostics
Automated building systems keep track of your building’s energy usage 24/7, gathering diagnostic data and automatically adjusting hydroponic nutrient injection systems, automatic irrigation, and fertigation.
Security Systems
When planning a building control system, consider your existing security and how you can improve it with automation. Small grow houses only require an alarm and a few motion-sensor lights controlled by a BCS. If you’re growing high-value plants or cannabis, however, investing in a more comprehensive security system may be worthwhile.
Want To Learn More About Automating Your Building’s Systems?
If you own a commercial or industrial property in Florida and are interested in learning more about what a building control system can do for you, give us a call today. We have provided a wide range of commercial electrical services including building automation system installation and integration for more than 30 years.
Contact us today at (754) 200-5872 or click here to fill out our quote request form.