Building energy management systems include monitoring, metering, and sub-metering capabilities that assist in the collection of energy data, providing property managers and owners with a comprehensive view of their building's energy consumption.
Fremont, CA: When it comes to energy consumption, different buildings consume energy at varying rates. Residential and commercial buildings are the main consumers, which is highly influenced by the amount of time we spend indoors. Thus, building energy management systems become critical tools for assisting in administering and controlling a facility's energy requirements. Not only can energy management systems assist in mitigating the bad impact a commercial building has on the environment, but they will also help save money on overhead costs and lower a facility's energy consumption.
How does Building Energy Management System work?
The majority of building management systems operate by integrating with the building's existing components and systems. BEMS are simple to adopt and cost-effective, as they require less new equipment to operate. BEMS is typically connected to two major groups of building systems.
Existing infrastructure
All operational physical systems and sensors will be housed within the existing building infrastructure. These systems include heating and cooling systems, elevators, fire suppression systems, and security systems in many properties. A building energy management system will be able to monitor the amount of energy utilized, as well as any fluctuations in energy consumption over time, by linking to the current systems.
Current building software
The building software is the second existing component with which BEMS communicates. BEMS will connect to two industry-standard software packages: BMS (building management systems) and BAS (building automation systems). While a building management system (BMS) is used to manage many aspects of a building from a centralized application, a building automation system (BAS) is used to automate building administration and processes.
The energy management software for the facility will interface with either of the existing systems or both. BEMS can collect and analyze data from all systems via integration, providing a more comprehensive and precise view of energy use. Additionally, an ideal building energy monitoring system incorporates external data, such as weather data, electrical grid data, and utility billing. The systems collect data from historical and current sources on a building to assist building owners in making more informed decisions.
