Heating and cooling a commercial facility can be a costly endeavor. Ensuring that a commercial space has comfortable temperatures, proper airflow, and good indoor air quality all year long is no easy task. Because of this, many facility managers invest in a building automation system or a series of controllers that attach to energy-related equipment and provide information on their performance and usage.

In addition to monitoring and controlling a building’s HVAC units, building automation systems can be hooked up to mechanical equipment, lighting, security systems, and fire safety equipment. They can be used to control temperature and humidity, set lighting on a schedule, and monitor attached equipment for problems or failures.

Building automation systems are beneficial in regards to HVAC because they allow commercial building managers to better manage the HVAC equipment. Without an automation system, it’s difficult to assess whether or not an HVAC system is operating at peak efficiency throughout the year.

A building automation system finds areas in which energy is being wasted and brings them to the attention of the facility manager. This is important because any number of conditions could cause a commercial facility to waste energy throughout the year. After analyzing the collected data, facility managers can adjust their HVAC system is necessary to save energy.

Building automation systems also look for issues with the equipment, notifying the user of any problems or breakdowns. This helps facility managers catch and troubleshoot problems, which improves the reliability and lifespan of the overall HVAC system. HVAC equipment problems that are noticed early are easier and less expensive to fix than issues that go unseen.

It’s no surprise that the biggest benefit of a building automation system is, well, the automation! Much like other smart technologies, building automation systems are designed to make things easier for the end-user. When dealing with a large commercial facility housing several HVAC units and multiple thermostats, a building automation system could be an especially valuable tool.

For example, an easy way to save money on heating costs is to turn down the thermostat at night when employees are no longer occupying a commercial space. In a large commercial facility, manually adjusting the temperature in every area of the building could take hours. A building automation system lets operators adjust the temperature in just seconds—or, even better, set an automatic heating schedule.

Overall, building automation systems make energy systems simpler to use. Being a facility manager is a tough job, and building automation systems are a great way to make managing a commercial space easier. Is it time for your commercial facility to invest in a building automation system?