As a facilities or building manager of a hospital, hotel or office park, it may fall to you to oversee the retrofitting of a Building Management System (BMS) in your building or facility. We’ll look at how to choose a system that is compatible with the existing equipment in the building, and that will achieve your energy efficiency and building management requirements.
Installation is best done by professionals with experience in retrofit installations. Automated Control Solutions (ACS) is an importer and distributor of Building Management Systems, Energy Efficient Building Automation Controllers and sensing and control equipment used to control heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and has a network of installers throughout Southern Africa, as well as Namibia & Kenya.
If you’re wondering where to start, keep reading and then give us a call for sound advice, solutions, and support.
What is a retrofitted BMS and how does it work?
A BMS is installed to control any or all of the HVAC, lighting and security systems of a building. As a retrofit, this will usually be a system that is mostly compatible with the existing equipment (depending on how old the current equipment in the building is).
It uses controllers, sensors, valves, damper motors, variable speed drives, and a range of other equipment, field devices and advanced technology to monitor, control, and optimize the performance of the HVAC system.
The BMS can be used to control the temperature, ventilation, and air conditioning in a building. It can also be used to monitor energy use and to provide data for building occupants. The system can be controlled remotely, and it can be used to save energy and improve indoor air quality.
The benefits of Retrofitting a building management system.
A retrofitted BMS has many benefits for a building and its occupants. Besides improving the energy efficiency and saving on energy bills, replacing an outdated HVAC system will improve the safety, comfort, and carbon footprint of a building.
In addition, the system can help to reduce the noise level in a building and improve the overall comfort of its occupants. It can also automate such things as lighting, access control, fire systems and CCTV monitoring.
The benefits of BMS automation
One of the keys to improving a building’s energy efficiency is by reducing the need for manual interventions. A building management system can help you do just that by automatically controlling building systems and equipment. In addition to improved energy efficiency, automated controls can also provide enhanced comfort and safety for occupants.
Other benefits of a Building Management System:
- Increased safety: Automated controls and monitoring can help to ensure that a building’s HVAC system is operating safely and correctly.
- Enhanced comfort: Automated controls can help to optimize a building’s HVAC system for comfortable temperatures and air quality. This can improve the comfort of occupants and help to increase productivity.
- Improved energy efficiency: helps to reduce the amount of energy used by a building’s HVAC system. This can lead to lower utility bills and help to reduce the carbon footprint.
- Greater flexibility: offers greater flexibility in how a building’s HVAC system is operated. This allows quicker response to changes in occupancy or weather conditions.
How to choose the right BMS
The short answer to this question is to contact ACS, and discuss your needs with us. What size is the building? Some systems are designed for small office buildings, while others are better suited for large warehouses or manufacturing plants, hospitals, hotels and office parks.
What are the climate control needs? Is heating, cooling or both required? Finally, budget and any energy efficiency goals in place need to be considered. With a little bit of research an effective and affordable system can be found.
Thankfully, there are a variety of retrofit HVAC solutions on the market that can cater to all sorts of unique needs.
How Tridium Niagara can help optimize building performance
When it comes to choosing a retrofit BMS, Tridium Niagara is often the best choice for many reasons. First, Tridium Niagara is one of the most popular and well-known brands on the market, ensuring a quality product. Second, Tridium Niagara systems are designed to be easy to install and use, averting complex wiring and installation procedures. Lastly, Tridium Niagara offers a wide range of features and options.
Building managers today are under constant pressure to improve building performance while reducing costs. Tridium Niagara can help them meet these challenges as it is a powerful building management system that provides building managers with complete visibility and control and allows them to have a complete overview of all building operations from a single platform. Download the Niagara Framework® Guide Specification here!
Tridium Niagara can help with Retrofitting a Building Management System in several ways:
- Real-time monitoring and control of all building systems and equipment: with Tridium Niagara, building managers can monitor and control all building systems and equipment in real-time, which allows them to quickly identify and address any issues that may arise.
- Tridium Niagara’s data logging and analysis capabilities allow building managers to identify trends and optimize building operations accordingly.
- Energy management: Tridium Niagara includes an energy management module that helps building managers to track, monitor and reduce energy consumption. The module also provides insights and recommendations on how to further improve energy efficiency.
- Integration with other systems: Tridium Niagara can be easily integrated with other building systems, such as security, access control, and CCTV.
- Remote access: Tridium Niagara can be accessed remotely, which allows building managers to monitor and control building operations even when they are not on site.
- Scalability: Tridium Niagara is a scalable system that can be easily expanded to accommodate the needs of growing businesses.
- Cost-effectiveness: Tridium Niagara is a cost-effective solution that can help building managers save money on energy costs.
ACS is a complete solutions provider for all your building automation needs. We can design and implement control solutions for any type of building, whether it requires automation for heating, cooling, ventilation, humidification, dehumidification or pressure control.
Through our network of installers in Southern Africa, ACS can offer high quality BMS and field devices throughout the region, helping you control your world.
Our experience and expertise in building automation ensures that we can offer you a comprehensive solution that is tailored to your specific needs. Contact us today for a chat about what we can offer you.
