Over the past few months, this column has focused on the challenges faced by design and construction teams due to increasingly powerful factory-installed controllers provided with individual HVAC system equipment. One of the biggest challenges for long term sustainable O&M is the as-built documentation for control systems that integrate self-contained equipment with a central BAS.
Traditionally, the BAS contractor will provide a substantial set of control system schematics, wiring diagrams, points lists, and sequences of operation — but only for the equipment and systems monitored and/or controlled by the BAS. Any information regarding on-board equipment controllers is traditionally found in the O&M manuals for those pieces of equipment. This approach has been fragmented and annoying, but eventually the building operations personnel figure out where to go to find the information they need.