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Much ado about a lot

Building management systems (BMS), in general, don’t get much attention. Perhaps the reason is they are simply too complex to condense into a reasonably-sized article, or perhaps they are simply not sexy enough for broad coverage. The BMS has been around for many years and many companies have installed them with good results. There have naturally been horror stories as there always are in the technology world, but given the importance of what BMS systems control, the vast majority do a good job.

Over the past couple of years, BMSes have found more acceptance and adoption as the drive to sustainability and environmentalism is pushing many corporations to better manage their buildings and campuses to reduce energy consumption, provide better and healthier working environments, as well as better manage the maintenance of their electronic equipment to prolong their lifespans and cut costs – among other benefits the BMS provides.

These systems do the above and more from a single management console, which is a productivity benefit in itself. And as the ability of the VMS to automatically identify and integrate various electronic systems with less programming and configuration required than in the past increased, the ability to integrate security devices has also been added. Today your BMS can manage your access control, cameras and alarms to various degrees, depending on which product you have installed and how recent it is.

Neil Cameron

So what is the next step for the BMS? Where will the next generation of these systems be going in terms of usability, integration and delivering measurable results. Hi-Tech Security Solutions asked three large BMS players in the southern African market to tell us about their current and future BMS offerings. Sadly, we were about to announce the local availability of a brand new BMS system for one company, but we had to pull the article because of some naming issues which has delayed the public release. Nevertheless, we will be running the announcement as soon as we can. In the meantime, we obtained comment from Artur Socha from Schneider Electric’s Buildings Business, and Neil Cameron, GM of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency, Systems & Service, Africa.

Primary benefits of BMS systems today

Running off a list of features and functionality found in a BMS is easy, but what are the real benefits that organisations receive when they go through the complex task of implementing a system?

Socha says that many of today’s BMSs are “highly sophisticated, integrated solutions with an ability to help building owners and facility managers take advantage of opportunities to maximise and manage their operations, including energy, HVAC, lighting, fire safety and security, and – in some cases – manage individuals’ comfort and manage space occupancy.”

At the facilities level, they can help simplify day-to-day operations when staff and resources are increasingly limited, this helps maintain occupant comfort and productivity, he continues. At a sustainability level, BMSs ensure buildings are run efficiently and include reporting tools which demonstrate adherence with energy and sustainability requirements, which are becoming part of compliance requirements around the world. At the C-suite level, BMS can reduce operating costs and maximise a buildings’ value and return on investment.

“Additionally, today’s BMS are using Internet Protocols (IP), which makes it even faster and more secure. The increasing use of analytics is also helping building owners make productive use of the abundance of data that is generated by the BMS. Analytics turns building data into actionable information that can help further maximise building performance and energy efficiency.”

Cameron offers a more focused opinion, saying that the main benefit of BMS solutions today “is clearly energy savings. There are a number of other benefits, but with the ever-increasing cost of electricity, companies are primarily focused on reducing their energy consumption through BMS. By harnessing the intelligence through system integration and automation, energy consumption can be significantly reduced.

“When considering that buildings account for approximately 40% of the world’s energy consumption and that with the use of BMS up to 30% of a company’s utility bill can be saved, a compelling business case is made.”

Another key benefit Cameron mentions is the enhanced functionality that a business can derive out of a number of systems, all managed by a BMS. Take for example, how integrating access control with video surveillance can assist to alert security personnel through alarms and identification of the person, with the use of video footage, if an unauthorised person tries to access a sensitive area.

“BMS also improve operational efficiencies, lower maintenance costs and improve staff productivity, to mention a few. It enhances occupant comfort, safety, security and provides more system control and easier access to information. As new enhancements are continually developed, some BMS solutions now offer a collaborative experience through a cloud-based platform and are able to cater to a mobile workforce whereby remote control and monitoring can be done from any location in the world, from any smart device.

Open or proprietary, or does it matter?

It’s very common these days to hear how open systems are a better option as they allow the customer to add best-of-breed systems and functionality to a software solution without being beholden to the company that produces the application. Some may argue that open systems are a good idea, but that the application developer still holds the cards in terms of what they allow third parties to do. And yet others offer the argument that proprietary systems are more reliable since the customer can add any functionality the developer provides, sure that it will work with the other systems and that when upgrades are installed, all the parts of the application are guaranteed to work together.

Socha says that Schneider’s StruxureWare Building Operation software natively supports industry-standard protocols, including BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks and Web services. “Native support is a unique feature because those protocols are supported within the same device so add-on drivers or gateways are not required. Third parties can add their own functionality to the platform by integrating them through these open protocols.”

He further notes that open systems benefit customers because they provide flexibility to seamlessly integrate any devices that comply with open protocols.

Cameron adds that Johnson Controls’ BMS, Metasys, is built on an open standards platform. “This is vital in order to integrate multiple disparate systems such as access control, fire detection and suppression, video surveillance, alarms and more. Having a BMS built on open standards allows companies to maximise their existing technology investments through flexible integration.“

He lists the following open protocols that Metasys is compatible with:

• BACnet.

• BACnet MSTP.

• LonWorks.

• Modbus.

• N2.

• XML.

• Web services.

• OPC.

Looking at the difference

While both interviewees agree that open systems are important in the BMS world – and no doubt, elsewhere too – one must ask what the benefit of one system over the other is. In an open platform, how does one vendor differentiate themselves from their competitors if the customer can add almost any functionality from a third party to the basic platform?

Socha says Schneider Electric offers fully integrated building management solutions that are scalable “from room to cloud” as organisations grow. “We offer BMS solutions for an entire global enterprise through SmartStruxure solution, to a single building or multi-site through SmartStruxure solution Lite.”

He says Schneider Electric is unique because it includes not only software for monitoring, managing and controlling energy, HVAC, lighting and fire safety, but also a full range of compatible hardware, engineering, installation and services for every stage of the life cycle. “That makes us a single source for all of our customers’ needs.

“The SmartStruxure solution is a somewhat new solution and has been created by taking the best features of our legacy BMS systems (such as Satchwell Sigma, TAC I/NET, TAC I/A Series, TAC Vista and Andover Continuum) and combining them with new, proprietary features, engineering efficiencies, and an extremely flexible user interface to make it one of the most comprehensive BMS offers available.”

Another unique feature he points out is that Schneider enables customers to leverage their current investment with the company or third-party systems. It offers tools and plans to help customers transition from their current BMS to a SmartStruxure solution based on their specific needs, budget and timeline.

“We are committed to ensuring that all customers’ buildings are up-to-date and future ready,” Socha says. “Additionally, we can further help optimise energy efficiencies across multiple domains of customers’ business by integrating the BMS to Schneider Electric’s other areas of expertise, such as data centre management and power monitoring.”

And since Schneider Electric is a global company with 170 years of experience and a presence in over 100 countries, it can offer service, support and solutions wherever its clients require it.

Cameron says that since Johnson Control’s Metasys is built on open standards, it can integrate with most legacy equipment, allowing companies to sweat their existing assets. “Johnson Controls dedicates significant resources and funding towards research and development and through this investment, we are continually improving our system functionality.

“Furthermore, we keep abreast of trends such as the move to cloud platforms and mobility, and as such develop solutions that leverage the benefits that they have to offer. In addition, we understand the consumerisation of IT, and in response have developed an easy-to-use, intuitive interface that delivers a better user experience whilst enhancing the user’s ability to identify issues and quickly resolve them.”

Schneider also believes that data delivers a wealth of insight and the intelligence derived from data assists management in making informed decisions. And again, Johnson Controls has decades of industry experience, skills and expertise.

Security integration

As a publication focused on security, Hi-Tech Security Solutions would be remiss not to ask how far the integration of traditional BMS functionality and security functionality and devices has progressed. Many security companies offer excellent management platforms that can manage everything from alarms to surveillance and analytics, but would it not be more efficient to pull that into a BMS and manage the whole lot from one platform? The answer, it appears is no, or more optimistically, not yet.

Cameron says that a single platform for security and building management would force compromise onto either or both systems. “The main problem with having a single system stems from the users point of view,” states Cameron. “Access to a security platform is privileged and requires certain clearances, especially while undergoing investigations. Access to the BMS requires technical knowledge and training; it requires very little security clearance. System upgrades and maintenance are very different and should be done by different people that are specialists in each system.

“In order to achieve the specialist functionality of each system, as well as being able to have a variety of systems to match facilities’ needs, it is far better to integrate separate systems to achieve beneficial data sharing. Systems will also be more reliable as a failure on one system will not cause the total system to stop working.”

Socha adds that the local market has a multitude of security platforms and offers from multiple brands, which normally leads to the least expensive provider winning the job. However, he stresses that there is no standard integration option currently for BMS and security-based system or common communication protocols because they are so different.

“As a result, there are very few security systems that support the open protocols in a BMS to allow some level of integration,” Socha explains. “These solutions are very expensive so the benefit to the customer must be weighed carefully. What’s more common are security systems that integrate multiple aspects of security, namely access control, intrusion detection and video.”

The Eskom effect

With the current, tenuous state of the power supply in South Africa, BMS solutions might be top of the pops in providing some form of relief in terms of lower power usage that will hopefully help keep the lights on. There again, it seems a little overkill for a company to buy a BMS and go through the process of implementation only to use the power management functionality. What is the market doing today?

Cameron says both scenarios are happening in South Africa. “The reality stems more from who the end user is and how the lease agreement is setup. If the lease is short and the customer is comparing facility leases on a cost per square metre, then a very basic entry-level system will be required.

“For discerning sophisticated customers, the functionality and maintainability plays a more important function. The more the end user is involved with the initial fit out, the better the system will perform according to their requirements, and the more the system will be fully utilised and appreciated.”

Socha believes that companies that understand and embrace the concept of a fully integrated BMS and are reaping the benefits, both in an energy reduction and maintenance planning perspective.

“In a typical building there are multiple vendors supplying subsystems such as generators, UPS, solar systems, HVAC, fire, gas suppression, gas detection, power metering, water tanks, fuel tanks, to name a few,” says Socha. “In the early stages of the building, these are typically left to their own operation without the vision of bringing all the data back to one operation and management point, which stresses the importance of a modular BMS system that can expand to meet these requirements.”

He provides a local example: South African companies are pushing to get into solar systems for provision of power due to blackouts, but they neglect to go deep into the electronic services in the building to provide full control down to a breaker/plug level or other subsystems via integration to improve overall efficiencies.

“This example demonstrates where the BMS would provide the power to control load stepping to maximise the efficiency of the solar system production, so as to meet the customer’s power requirement and prevent business downtime.”

The business world today is about cutting costs, sweating assets, improving productivity, and, in the South African context, trying to stay afloat when half your day can be lost to blackouts. There are, of course, many solutions to these problems and in the larger corporate environment, the BMS is a solution that can make a significant difference.

Whether its sweating your assets through effective monitoring and maintenance, controlling energy expenditure or any of the many other functions a BMS can provide, more companies are looking at a platform that delivers the full solution – even if they only implement different functionalities in phases – that will allow them to make constant gains over time. The benefit of open systems is there will be a solution to almost any problem you have to deal with, although the argument for proprietary systems and stability still holds if the provider is able to meet all your needs.

There is also a benefit to be gained when the underling platform is built and supported by a company with years of experience in the BMS game and the skills on hand to guide the customer through the optimal implementation and running processes. However, in an area as complex as building management, the ability to revert to experts for consulting services and advice on best practices and the means to meet your goals, whether at the start of a project or many years after the first installation, will soon become the prime competitive differentiator in a world where results matter more than brand or any technical arguments.

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