Controls and building-management systems
BRE has published two information papers to help non-technical clients and building occupiers specify building controls to provide a comfortable climate for a building’s occupants with the lowest possible energy consumption. They are ‘Information paper 1/14: understanding the choices for building controls’ and Information paper 2/14: operating BEMS: a practical guide to building energy management systems’.
IP 1/14, prepared with the support of ESTA and Siemens Building Technologies, addresses perceptions that cutting-edge controls technologies are overly technical and complex to operate. This 16-page document provides simple explanations of the different control systems available, offers advice on where and why each system can, and should, be used — along with advice on how to apply a technology to get an effective solution in practice.
IP 2/14, prepared with the support of Schneider Electric and ESTA, runs to 12 pages and provides practical instructions on the effective operation of a BEMS to realise potential energy savings. It also covers building-management software such as analytics and automatic HVAC optimisation.