Modern buildings rely heavily on technology to achieve their performance goals, but they generate reams of system data that often go unused. Building performance monitoring and metrics (BPMM) is a new tool that that compiles building data into a few useful metrics to help operators understand whether their building technology is working as intended. By deploying BPMM, designers can provide easily accessible building performance information such as energy consumption by end use (lighting, heating, air conditioning, elevators, etc.) building demand, and system performance information to building operators with minimal additional cost to a new construction project.
BPMM applies to the whole building and to major systems. Whole-building information allows operators to understand their building performance over time and compare it to other buildings. System-level information helps operators better understand how and why their buildings use energy to meet the operating requirements. Rapid increases in computing capacity have given building management control systems the capability to affordably monitor HVAC equipment and system performance. BPMM condenses this large quantity of system data into a series of indicators and compares them to benchmarks, thereby helping building operators continuously tune their building’s systems to balance comfort and energy efficiency. In this article, we’ll explain BPMM, focusing primarily on HVAC system-level BPMM and provide a high-level view of other building metrics.