Building automation
With the advent of wireless sensor networks and the Internet of Things, an increasing number of smart buildings are resorting to using low-power wireless communication technologies such as Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy and LoRa to interconnect the local sensors, actuators and processing devices.
[2] Almost all multi-story green buildings are designed to accommodate a BAS for the energy, air and water conservation characteristics.
Electrical device demand response is a typical function of a BAS, as is the more sophisticated ventilation and humidity monitoring required of "tight" insulated buildings.
Even a passivhaus design intended to consume no net energy whatsoever will typically require a BAS to manage heat capture, shading and venting, and scheduling device use.
Systems linked to a BMS typically represent 40% of a building's energy usage; if lighting is included, this number approaches to 70%.
In case a fire is detected then only the fire alarm panel could close dampers in the ventilation system to stop smoke spreading, shut down air handlers, start smoke evacuation fans, and send all the elevators to the ground floor and park them to prevent people from using them.
Building management systems have also included disaster-response mechanisms (such as base isolation) to save structures from earthquakes.
In more recent times, companies and governments have been working to find similar solutions for flood zones and coastal areas at-risk to rising sea levels.
[7][8] Analog outputs control the speed or position of a device, such as a variable frequency drive, an I-P (current to pneumatics) transducer, or a valve or damper actuator.
Given the potential for long lead times before a space becomes sufficiently cool or warm, climate conditioning is not often initiated directly by an occupancy sensor.
A photocell placed outside a building can sense darkness, and the time of day, and modulate lights in outer offices and the parking lot.
[10] Automated shading and glazing systems are solutions for controlling solar heat gains and glare.
Building shading and glazing systems can contribute to thermal and lighting improvement from both energy conservation and comfort point of view.
The supply fan (and return if applicable) is started and stopped based on either time of day, temperatures, building pressures or a combination.
Notification can be through a computer (email or text message), pager, cellular phone voice call, audible alarm, or all of these.
Because security systems are often deliberately sabotaged, at least some detectors or cameras should have battery backup and wireless connectivity and the ability to trigger alarms when disconnected.
Similarly, electrical fault detection systems can turn entire circuits off, regardless of the number of alarms this triggers or persons this distresses.
Modern systems use SNMP to track events, building on decades of history with SNMP-based protocols in the computer networking world.
Physical connectivity between devices was historically provided by dedicated optical fiber, ethernet, ARCNET, RS-232, RS-485 or a low-bandwidth special purpose wireless network.
Modern systems rely on standards-based multi-protocol heterogeneous networking such as that specified in the IEEE 1905.1 standard and verified by the nVoy auditing mark.
With the growing spectrum of capabilities and connections to the Internet of Things, building automation systems were repeatedly reported to be vulnerable, allowing hackers and cybercriminals to attack their components.
[19][20] On November 11, 2019, a 132-page security research paper was released titled "I Own Your Building (Management System)" by Gjoko Krstic and Sipke Mellema that addressed more than 100 vulnerabilities affecting various BMS and access control solutions by various vendors.
The most common example of room automation is corporate boardroom, presentation suites, and lecture halls, where the operation of the large number of devices that define the room function (such as videoconferencing equipment, video projectors, lighting control systems, public address systems etc.)
