How can you optimize BMS performance for energy efficiency?

1 Assess your current BMS

When optimizing your BMS performance, the first step is to assess your current system and identify any gaps, issues, or opportunities for improvement. You can use a variety of tools and methods to evaluate your BMS, such as audits, benchmarks, dashboards, reports, and feedback. Additionally, you should consider the age, functionality, and compatibility of your hardware and software; the alignment of your BMS settings and schedules with occupancy patterns and energy usage; the accuracy and reliability of sensors, meters, and controllers; the integration and communication of your BMS with other systems; and the availability and quality of your data and analytics.

2 Update your BMS software and hardware

The second step to optimize your BMS performance is to update your software and hardware to the latest versions and standards. This can help you enhance the functionality, security, and efficiency of your system, as well as check for any firmware updates, patches, or bug fixes that can improve the performance and stability. Updating your BMS software and hardware can bring many benefits, such as accessing new features that can optimize your system, reducing the risk of cyberattacks or data breaches, improving interoperability with other systems and devices, increasing the speed and accuracy of your system, and extending its lifespan while reducing maintenance costs.

3 Calibrate your BMS sensors and meters

The third step to optimize your BMS performance is to calibrate your sensors and meters regularly. Sensors and meters are the devices that measure and monitor various parameters of your building, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, flow, power, and CO2. They provide the data and feedback that your BMS uses to control and adjust your systems and devices. However, sensors and meters can degrade, drift, or malfunction over time, affecting the accuracy and reliability of your data and feedback. This can lead to suboptimal performance, energy waste, or comfort issues. Therefore, you should calibrate your sensors and meters according to the manufacturer's specifications and industry standards. You should also verify and validate the data and feedback from your sensors and meters using manual or automated methods.

4 Optimize your BMS settings and schedules

Optimizing your BMS performance involves optimizing your settings and schedules to meet your performance goals and changing conditions. Settings are the parameters that define how your systems and devices operate, such as temperature setpoints, fan speeds, lighting levels, and security modes. Schedules are the time frames that determine when your systems and devices turn on, off, or change modes. You should tailor these to your occupancy patterns, energy usage, and comfort preferences. Additionally, you can use adaptive or predictive algorithms to adjust settings and schedules automatically based on real-time data and feedback. The benefits of doing this include reducing energy consumption and emissions of your systems and devices, improving occupant satisfaction, enhancing performance and efficiency of systems and devices, as well as avoiding unnecessary wear and tear or damage.

5 Integrate your BMS with other systems and devices

The fifth step to optimize your BMS performance is to integrate it with other systems and devices that can complement or enhance its functionality and efficiency, such as renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, smart meters, smart thermostats, smart lighting, smart plugs, smart windows, and smart appliances. This integration can create a smart building with the ability to generate, store, and manage its own energy; monitor and control its energy demand and supply; communicate and interact with the grid and other buildings; respond and adapt to external factors and events; and learn from its data and feedback in order to improve.

6 Monitor and analyze your BMS performance

Monitoring and analyzing your system's performance using data and analytics is the sixth and final step to optimize your BMS performance. Data and analytics provide the tools and methods to measure, track, and evaluate your system's performance, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, dashboards, reports, and alerts. You should regularly monitor and analyze your system's performance to identify any problems or anomalies, evaluate the impact of optimization actions, compare your system's performance against goals and standards, discover new opportunities for optimization, and report on your system's performance to stakeholders.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?