Building Management System (BMS) is the common name given to the computer system used to manage the technical equipment in a building (generally a large industrial or service building). Increasingly widespread, BMS systems now meet the needs of efficient building operation and maintenance. The objectives to achieve are occupant comfort, optimisation of energy consumption and preventive maintenance. Deploying a BMS is becoming a regulatory requirement for buildings of a certain size.
Historically, the BMS scope concerned equipment related to thermal comfort and therefore HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, hot water, etc.). The scope was then expanded to include equipment related to electrical distribution (transformers, electrical cells, inverters, generators, etc.). Today, a BMS is used for the overall management of a building, taking into account the other technical lots (heating/ventilation auxiliaries, lighting, blinds, security, access control, alarms, lifts, IT equipment, office automation and networks).
A BMS can be classified under three levels of service and performance according to the CEREMA*:
A level 1 BMS handles the control of equipment (schedule, setpoint, etc.), the identification of operating deviations via simple indicators and the reporting of malfunctions via the generation of alarms. It does not necessarily include supervision software. This is deployed less often, as it does not include the supervision and energy monitoring functions that are essential for achieving the energy sobriety objective.
In addition to the functions of a level 1 BMS, a level 2 BMS centralises information to provide an overall view and conduct intelligent control of technical installations using real-time indicators that take into account several parameters (comfort, presence, operation, consumption, weather forecasts, etc.). It is usually equipped with supervision software.
Intelligent control makes it possible to influence the programming of equipment and adjust operation to users' actual needs and the operating context.
Level 3 adds an energy monitoring function to the previous levels to measure consumption in detail, analyse it, set up a monitoring plan and target improvements.
This function requires a data processing tool to set up customisable and scalable dashboards to produce increasingly detailed analyses.
The aim of these analyses is to identify the most energy-intensive equipment and the over-consumption contexts in order to target energy improvements with the best ROI and educate building stakeholders about the impact of their uses.
With Topkapi, AREAL has chosen to offer a supervision solution that enables level 3 of a BMS to be achieved. In addition to the traditional functions of a monitoring tool, Topkapi natively incorporates energy monitoring functions without the need for third-party software. The ecological context now make the use of a BMS indispensable. However, it's not easy to choose from the multiple offerings available. The field studies conducted, in particular by the CEREMA, provide insight into the service levels offered by a BMS and the gains observed when moving from one level to another. For example, heating savings of up to 38% can be achieved with a level 3 BMS that incorporates supervision software and energy monitoring, versus a level 1 BMS that simply performs a monitoring function.
* The CEREMA is a french public establishment under the supervision of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion. It supports the State and local authorities in developing, deploying and assessing public planning and transport policies.
A level 3 BMS has the following benefits:
