Last month, this column introduced the issue of data sharing between equipment on-board controllers and a central BAS. We have reached a point in the evolution of building systems control and integration where there is actually more information available to be shared than is typically useful to the building owner/operator. In order to avoid data paralysis, decisions need to be made by project teams regarding which points are worth acknowledging between the equipment controllers and the BAS and which points can be ignored.
Last month’s column suggested a design-phase approach to addressing this situation in order to clarify which points must be shared in either direction (e.g., equipment controller-to-BAS or BAS-to-equipment controller) and what will be done with those mandatory points after they are shared. If that does not happen, dealing with the issue will be pushed into the construction phase of a project. In either case, the commissioning professional may be put in a position of facilitating the discussion and decision-making process.