Today’s modern buildings are a hive of sensors and connected devices that are constantly providing building automation systems, and the facilities managers who oversee them, with a raft of granular, actionable data insights. In this article, Hitaltech explains the impact the Internet of Things (IoT) is having on modern building automation systems and how we can support you to bring building automation products to market efficiently.
What are building automation systems?
Building automation systems (BAS), or building management systems (BMS) as they’re also known, provide building owners and facilities managers with the ability to automatically monitor and control core building functions, particularly heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) equipment. As such, building automation systems save time, money and waste; streamlining the way buildings are managed.
As pivotal and practical building automation systems have proven to be, they are not without their limitations. Building automation systems are largely intended to gather data for the sake of automation rather than for leveraging analytics to improve performance. Data gathered about individual systems, such as HVAC, lighting and fire detection, is rarely aggregated and requires time and effort by humans to collate and analyse.
But this is where the Internet of Things (IoT) has made the lives of facilities managers that bit easier.
IoT for buildings
The IoT is the name given to all the devices worldwide that are connected to the internet for the purpose of collecting and sharing data. Low-price chips and widespread wireless networks have made it possible to connect billions of ‘things’ with sensors to turn ‘dumb’ devices and systems into smart ones that provide granular, real-time insights that allow facilities managers to be more in control of systems and costs.
Typical IoT sensors used within building automation systems include (but are not limited to) the following:
- HVAC
- Climate control
- Electrical usage
- Fire detection
- Lighting control
- Predictive maintenance
- Water monitoring
The real-time data accrued from these sensors enables building owners and facilities managers to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of their estate, leverage predictive maintenance to reduce maintenance costs, optimise the way space is used within their buildings, and enhance the comfort, safety and security of their tenants. It’s easy to see why the IoT and building automation systems make the ideal partnership.
Building automation without compromise
At Hitaltech, we provide a range of tailored, connected components for industrial control, energy metering, HVAC and lighting. Our exceptional enclosures, board-to-board interconnect systems, and value-added services make product design and manufacture quick, efficient and successful. If you’re looking for building automation product development without compromise, make Hitaltech your partner of choice.
If you’d like to find out more about our products, including our range of connected components for building automation systems, please contact us today on +44 (0)1253 899910 or email uksales@hitaltech.co.uk. The Hitaltech team is always on hand to answer any questions you may have.
