BMCS Pathway - Custom or OUT of the BOX
Chosing a building automation system (BAS, BMS, BMCS, EMS, BEMS) requires the person or group making the desision to decide what to leave in and what to leave out. Even undertsanding features is complex and automation providers have more acronyms in a sentence than other words. Each building is different and we recognise that there are cicumstances where a custom building management system is the ideal choice. We also recognise that an OUT of the BOX solution is an appropriate pathway for more than ninety ercent of projects. OUT of teh BOX is also configurable and can be easliy set up for the overwhelming majority of projects. The graphic above relates to NSW schools but it provides an understanding of what the cost structure is for OUT of the BOX and Custom solutions.
Custom BMCS
Custom building automation solutions are the gold plated solution for any site. A core principle of building automation is to bring all building services together onto a single human-machine interface. All connected systems can then be managed to achieve whatever targets are put in place.
Typical Custom BMCS Network Architecture
OUT of the BOX BMCS
Out of the Box BMCS utilising a family of products that control heating, cooling, air quality, lighting, fans, pumps, louvres and blinds. The unique element of each product within the familiy is that they all confomr to the HUBlink standard. HUBlink allows individual devices to reach out over a network or a cloud and make connections with other HUBlink devices. Instead of having a single head end graphical user interface laboriously configured by a group of engineers instead HUBlink allows each device to provide its own graphical user interface that conforms to the HUBlink style guide. Any number of users can then seamless browse from device to device with the exact same ease as if it were all contacined in a head end. Out of the Box BMCS is lower capital cost, faster to install, easier to commission, has lower lifecycle costs than a Custom BMCS.
A BeMS or an EMS is often confused with a BMS or a BMCS. The difference is essentially that a BeMS manages only energy releated matters. It can make determinations and automate responses but only in relation to energy targets. A BMCS manages and controls a wide range of targets that include thermal comfort. light level and access. BMCS also integrates with other systems it may not control so that it can provide a single place where all activity within a building can be monitored. The process for designng an energy management system is different to that of a BMCS however they should both end up a single interface for stakholsers to access.