Many elements of an MEP design are relatively straightforward. There is usually a right way to do things and a wrong way. Often, these decisions are clearly based on codes, or at very least on convention. Controls and BAS, however, are rarely this straightforward, and in many cases there is a good, better, and best way to control a system. Understanding these options, the costs and benefits, and how to achieve them on your next project is not well understood by owners and their design teams.
So what are the differences between these options? The simple answer is as follows.