The Technology Express Magazine | Edition: June 2022

BUILDING AUTOMATION
BUILDING AUTOMATION
SYSTEMS (BAS);
MAKING FACILITIES HEALTHIER,
MORE PRODUCTIVE & COST-EFFECTIVE
Building automation systems (BAS) are automated control systems that can optimize
energy efficiency and/or worker productivity by regulating a building’s heating and
cooling, lighting, equipment, and more. This solution would replace buildings with
traditional mechanical or electric control systems.
Keeping massive buildings
under control may be
difficult. Aside from
growing power expenses,
certain areas might be too
hot, while others can be too cold.
Lighting levels are usually uneven
and misaligned with the area’s work
requirements. In certain sections, as
evidenced by alert and enthusiastic
workers, ventilation can be excellent,
while in others, as evidenced by
employees dozing off and watching
the clock, ventilation might be poor.
The majority of these issues can
be solved with a BAS.
A building automation system,
when installed appropriately,
may result in increased energy
efficiency, cheaper management
and maintenance costs, improved
quality of indoor air, increased
occupant comfort, and productivity
improvements.
Low Power Costs
Building automation technologies,
when utilized effectively, may
quickly pay for themselves through
decreased utility expenditures.
Savings of 10% to 30% can be
achieved by simply observing
building activity and enabling the
BAS to adjust HVAC consumption
accordingly. Electricity costs are
further reduced by reductions in peak
usage and other energy utilization
improvements.
Higher Productivity
Better ventilation and high quality
air circulation increase worker
productivity while lowering sick days.
According to Harvard and SUNY
Medical Center studies, increasing
minimum ventilation rates using
energy efficient HVAC systems
improves mental skills. Employees
in well-ventilated, sustainable
buildings had 26.4 percent higher
cognitive function scores and 30%
fewer ill building symptoms than
those in non-certified buildings.
Optimized internal environment
Thirty years of public health
study showed that enhanced indoor
environmental quality corresponds to
healthier and happier employees. The
impact of greater tenant satisfaction
is vital to building owners and
managers. Temperature control
is one of the most noticeable BAS
advantages. A BAS prevents freezing
morning temperatures in the winter
and suffocating heats in the summer
by turning on temperature control
systems before inhabitants arrive
and shutting them off after everyone
has left. Fewer tenant complaints,
happier staff, and a more productive
corporate environment all result
from a more pleasant facility.
Reduced carbon emissions
Building management solutions
that are automated rather than
manual can cut energy usage by
10–20 percent. “Building Automation
Systems (BAS) can result in over 20
percent more efficient heating and
cooling and 8 percent more efficient
energy use for lighting, appliances,
etc. Across the world, adoption range
from close to 0 percent in some
developing regions to over 75 percent
in high-income countries. Expanding
these adoptions significantly by
mid-century—at an added cost of
US$225–321 billion, building owners
could save US$1.8–3.1 trillion in
operating costs. Some 6.47–10.48
gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions
could be avoided”, according to
Drawdown.
-feature@thetechnologyexpress.com
www.thetechnologyexpress.com JUNE 2022 / 27