Chapter 24 - Building Automation

Abstract

Automation aims to save energy in buildings and provide critical functions such as fire emergency evacuation. Smart objects are rapidly entering this market because of the reduced installation costs that wireless systems provide. Building Automation Systems (BAS) automatically adjust heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems to meet the targeted environmental conditions for the building, while minimizing energy cost. Building automation also increases the security and safety of the building environment by monitoring and controlling the installed physical security and fire systems. Traditionally, BAS and enterprise network systems were separately installed and maintained by the facility and IT organizations, respectively. The cost of supporting these two complex pervasive networks within a building has led to the integration of the facility equipment onto the IT network. Smart objects have a clear place in the building automation ecosystem by providing both the sensors that the BAS needs, as well as the actuators that affect the physical environment. Smart object networks installed as part of BAS can be either wireless using radio communication or wired using Powerline communication (PLC) or Ethernet. In addition to HVAC applications, there are numerous emerging applications of building automation technology. Such applications are encoded by the building application layer, which is a software layer that binds the various system silos into a cohesive systemic application.