Building automation · Building management systems

Building automation systems commissioned to control your building and prove the energy savings

Building automation system dashboard showing live HVAC graphics at a command centre
100%
of control sequences commissioned and witnessed before you sign the handover certificate

One open-protocol control layer for HVAC, chiller plant, energy and lighting, commissioned and documented before handover.

You were sold a building automation system to cut energy use and give your team one place to run the building. Too often it arrives half-commissioned, with guessed setpoints and graphics nobody trusts. A building automation system ties your HVAC, chiller plant, metering and lighting into one control layer, built on open protocols like BACnet (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135) so you are not locked to a single brand. Every point is mapped, every control sequence is commissioned against how your building actually runs, and the energy baseline is set before you sign the handover.

BACnet (ANSI/ASHRAE 135)ASHRAE 90.1 & 62.1 designCommissioning witnessed at handover
A certified controls engineer replies within one business day, not a sales rep.
What it is

What a building automation system includes

A building automation system is the control layer that runs your building's mechanical and electrical services from one place. It connects your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), your chiller plant, your energy meters and your lighting to a network of controllers and a central dashboard. People also call it a building management system (BMS) or a building automation system (BAS). The three terms describe the same thing. A complete scope is more than the software. It covers the design, the points list, the controllers and field devices, the programming, the graphics and the commissioning, from the first design review through to a documented handover your facilities team can run on its own.

DDC control panel and field controllers in a building automation system

HVAC control

Air handling units, fan coil units and variable air volume (VAV) boxes run on schedules and setpoints that match how your spaces are actually used.

Chiller plant control and optimization

Chiller sequencing, staging and chilled-water reset tuned to your real cooling load, not a default curve.

Air distribution and indoor air quality

Ventilation, CO2 monitoring and pressurization controlled to keep occupied spaces comfortable and compliant.

Energy metering and dashboards

Sub-metering by system or tenant, with dashboards that show where your energy actually goes.

Lighting and ELV integration

Lighting control, occupancy and links to CCTV and access control, so systems share data instead of running blind.

Command centre and graphics

A head-end and floor-level graphics your operators can read at a glance, with alarms that mean something.

The points list, the control philosophy and the graphics are agreed and approved before any controller is ordered. Nothing is procured until the sequence of operations is signed off.

Risks

What goes wrong with building automation systems

Four failures that show up after the system is live. Each one is a design or commissioning decision, not bad luck, and each is preventable before a single controller is programmed.

Risk 01

Handed over half-commissioned

The system goes live on default setpoints and generic schedules because commissioning got squeezed at the end of the programme. Dampers hunt, zones fight each other, and your operators switch equipment to manual within weeks. The control logic was never tested against how your building actually runs.

Manual override
the quiet sign a system was never commissioned: operators run the plant by hand because the automation cannot be trusted.
Prevention

Commission against a written sequence of operations, with every control loop tuned and witnessed on site before handover is signed.

Specification

Technical specification

Your building automation system is designed to open standards, not to one manufacturer's ecosystem. Controllers communicate over BACnet (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135), with Modbus and KNX where field devices need them. Control sequences follow ASHRAE 90.1 for energy and ASHRAE 62.1 for ventilation, so the logic meets recognised practice rather than a supplier default. Equipment is selected for your plant and your control philosophy, every point is verified end to end, and each sequence of operations is commissioned and witnessed on site before handover.

Standards
BACnet ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135 · ASHRAE 90.1 (energy efficiency) · ASHRAE 62.1 (ventilation)
Protocols
BACnet/IP and BACnet MS/TP · Modbus RTU/TCP · KNX · OPC UA where integrating to analytics or IT systems
Controllers & field devices
Direct digital control (DDC) controllers · I/O modules · VAV and fan-coil controllers · sensors · actuators · energy meters
Systems controlled
HVAC (AHU, FCU, VAV) · chiller plant · ventilation and indoor air quality · lighting · energy metering
System integration
BACnet/IP over the ICT network backbone, on its own segment · monitoring links to CCTV, access control and the fire alarm
Commissioning & testing
Point-to-point verification · control-loop tuning · sequence-of-operations testing · witnessed functional performance tests
Handover documentation
As-built points list · control philosophy · exported programming and graphics · commissioning records · operator guide
Warranty
Manufacturer warranty on controllers; extended cover activated at certified, commissioned handover
Engineer commissioning a building automation control loop before handover
The as-built points list, exported programming and graphics are included as standard, in editable formats your team owns.
Cost factors

What affects the cost of a building automation system

The cost of a building automation system moves with the number of points, the complexity of your plant, how many third-party systems it integrates, the depth of graphics and analytics, your redundancy and cybersecurity needs, and how thoroughly it is commissioned. We publish the drivers, not a price, because a real figure comes from your points list and your plant, not a rate card.

Densely wired DDC controller terminals representing the point count of a building automation system
Point count

Every monitored and controlled point adds field devices, wiring and programming. The points list is the single biggest driver of cost.

Plant complexity

More chillers, air handling units and zones mean more control loops to design, program and commission.

Integration and protocol mix

Each third-party system and protocol you tie in, from meters to ELV and fire, adds interfacing and testing time.

Graphics and analytics depth

Custom floor graphics, energy dashboards and fault-detection analytics add value and add engineering hours.

Redundancy and cybersecurity

Redundant servers, network segmentation and OT security harden the system and raise the cost.

Commissioning depth

Full loop tuning, witnessed functional tests and a return seasonal visit cost more than a quick point check, and prevent the failures above.

Standard exclusions(not included in a building automation quote)
Mechanical and electrical plant (chillers, AHUs, dampers, valves) supplied and installed by the MEP contractor
Power supply, containment and builder's work for field devices
ICT network and internet links beyond the BMS segment
Third-party software or cloud licences beyond the initial term
End-user devices and tenant fit-out controls
Re-commissioning after later tenant or plant changes
Annual maintenance contract (AMC)
Process

How a building automation project is delivered

Every project runs in five phases. No phase starts until the previous one is complete and documented.

01

Design and points list

Your project starts with a survey of the plant and a clear control philosophy: what each system should do, when, and under what conditions. From that comes a points list, a sequence of operations and an equipment schedule you can review before anything is bought.

No controller is ordered until the points list and the sequence of operations are approved.
02

Procurement and panel build

Controllers and control panels are built and staged off site where possible. Programming is pre-loaded to the agreed sequences and the graphics are drafted, so the work that reaches your site is already most of the way tested.

Panels are built and base programming is reviewed before any site work begins.
03

Installation and integration

Controllers, sensors and actuators are installed and wired to the plant, connected to their own network segment, and interfaced with your meters, ELV and fire systems. Each device is labelled and each point is recorded.

No point is left uninstalled, unlabelled or off its segment at the end of any day.
04

Commissioning and testing

Every point is verified from field device to graphic, every control loop is tuned, and each sequence of operations is tested and witnessed. The energy baseline is recorded here, before optimization, so later savings can be measured.

Every sequence is proven and witnessed before handover is offered.
05

Handover and documentation

Handover is not signed until the as-built points list, the control philosophy, the exported programming and graphics, and the commissioning records are produced and your operators are trained on the live system.

Not signed off until every document is accepted and your team can run the system.
Key comparison

Open protocol, proprietary, or cloud: how should your building automation system be built?

How your building automation system is built decides who can change it, what it costs to run, and whether you are tied to one supplier for the next 15 years.

Compare options
Select a category
Protocols
BACnet, Modbus and KNX; you can mix vendors
One vendor's closed protocol
Open at field level, vendor cloud above it
Who can service it
Any competent building automation contractor
Only the original vendor
The vendor, through their platform
Adding or changing points
Open tools, your team or any integrator
Back to the vendor at their rate
Through the platform, subscription bound
Software and upgrades
Editable programming you own
Licensed, charged per change
Pushed by the platform for an ongoing fee
Where your data lives
On your own network
On your own network
On the vendor's cloud
Cost model
Hardware plus engineering, no lock-in fee
Hardware plus standing vendor dependency
Hardware plus an ongoing subscription
Best for
Most commercial buildings that want control and no lock-in
Buyers who want one supplier and accept lock-in
Multi-site portfolios that want remote analytics

For most commercial buildings, an open-protocol system on your own network gives you control, the freedom to use any competent contractor, and no licence fee for every change. A proprietary single-vendor system can suit a buyer who wants one accountable supplier and accepts the lock-in that comes with it. A cloud or IoT platform fits a multi-site portfolio that values remote analytics and is happy with an ongoing subscription. We design open by default, and we will tell you when a closed or cloud option genuinely fits your case better.

Cross-service

What your building automation system connects to

Your building automation system rarely runs alone. It controls the plant, but it also shares data with the systems around it. These are the connections that belong in the design from the start, not bolted on after handover.

ICT network backbone

Your controllers talk over BACnet/IP on the building network. The network and the building automation system are designed together, with the BMS on its own segment, off the corporate traffic.

View ICT services

CCTV and access control

Your ELV systems and the building automation system share occupancy and event data, so lighting, ventilation and access work from the same picture instead of running blind.

View ELV systems

Fire alarm and life safety

On a fire signal, the building automation system shuts down or repositions air handling for smoke control, on a tested cause-and-effect logic. The link is designed and proven, not assumed.

View life safety system

Energy management and lighting control

Metering, energy dashboards and lighting control are part of the same building automation family, designed under one BMS scope.

View building management systems
Relevant industriesHealthcare & hospitalsHospitalityData centresManufacturing
FAQs

Frequently asked questions

The questions buyers ask about building automation systems before they specify a project.

It can, but only if it is commissioned and measured, which is where most systems fall short. We set an energy baseline before optimization, meter the systems that drive consumption, and report actual savings against that baseline after commissioning. Savings come from tuned control sequences, not from the dashboard itself. Without a baseline and metering, any saving figure is just a claim, so we put the measurement in writing.

We build on open protocols: BACnet (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135), Modbus and KNX, so you are not tied to a single brand. You receive editable programming and graphics at handover, which means any competent contractor can service or expand the system later. That is your protection against paying one vendor for every future change. If a specific device genuinely needs a proprietary interface, we will tell you before we specify it.

Often yes, depending on what you have. We start with a survey of your controllers, protocols and graphics. Where the system runs on an open protocol and the field devices are sound, we upgrade the head-end and re-commission rather than rip everything out. Where it is a dead proprietary system with no documentation, a staged replacement usually costs less over time, and we will show you the honest comparison before you spend.

Commissioning proves that every point and every control sequence works as designed, on site. We verify each point from field device to graphic, tune every control loop, and run witnessed functional tests against the sequence of operations. It is the difference between a system that runs the building and one your operators quietly switch to manual. The commissioning records become part of your handover.

A complete, usable record. That means the as-built points list, the control philosophy, the exported programming and graphics, the commissioning records, and operator training on the live system. You should be able to read an alarm, change a setpoint and add a point without calling us back for the basics. The programming and graphics are handed over in editable formats you own.

It depends on the size of the plant and the number of points. A single commercial building often runs 6 to 12 weeks from approved design to commissioned handover, while a large site with several chiller plants and heavy integration runs longer. The points list and the depth of commissioning move the date more than anything else. Your real timeline is set during the design phase.

Honest fit

When we are not the right choice

We will tell you directly when your project is not the right fit.

Your tender is scored on lowest price alone

We will not strip out commissioning, point verification or documentation to match a cheaper number. A proposal that leaves those out is a different scope, not a better deal, and you will pay for the gap after handover.

You want a single closed, proprietary system

We design on open protocols and hand over editable programming and graphics. If a locked, single-vendor stack you cannot change later is what you want, another contractor is a better fit than we are.

You run a small, simple building

For a handful of fan coil units with no central plant, packaged controls or your MEP contractor's local controllers will cost less and do the job. A full building automation system is more than that building needs.

You're a good fit if…

Your building has real plant to control, with chillers, air handling and multiple zones, where energy cost matters, where the system has to integrate with your ELV and fire systems, and where you need a commissioned, documented handover your team can run for the next 15 years.

Book a BMS assessment

A scope to test building automation proposals against before you tender

A BMS assessment gives you a draft points-list outline, a review of your existing controls where you have them, and an indicative budget range for your building, so procurement compares proposals that cover the same work.

A certified controls engineer contacts you, not a sales representative
Response within one business day
An indicative points-list outline and budget range in writing within five business days of the site visit
No obligation. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you directly

Tell us about your project

Response within one business day. No obligation.