FEATURES
Building Management Systems and Climate Change
At the recently concluded AAK Annual Convention 2021, the discussion centred around Climate Change. This is an important discourse that continues within built environment professional circles because the building Industry and buildings specifically, are a major contributor to Climate Change. They consume a large proportion of resources in their construction in the form of materials used and the embodied energy necessary for their execution. Throughout their lifecycles, buildings continue to consume resources and in addition, require maintenance and management. The way we manage our buildings presents us with a big opportunity to curb climate change and even perhaps reverse it. Building Management Systems (BMS) are computerised or automated methods of measurement, control and management of Building Services. BMS’s generally control 12
building systems such as HVAC, Lighting and Security Systems. There are several reasons why building automation is important and a good number of these reasons relate to the management of resource consumption and ultimately the management of climate change. First, BMS’s help provide improved occupant comfort, increased security and remote access, control and operation. In relation to climate change, automating our buildings helps to increase the efficient operation of building systems, reduce energy consumption, reduce operating and maintenance costs as well as reduce carbon emissions. When deciding what to implement in terms of automation, there are several guiding considerations, among them, the cost of implementation and maintenance, the plans for future expansion or adaptive re-use.
By Arch. Marylyn Musyimi
Most importantly and connected to climate change, is the consideration for the potential in reducing the environmental impact of our buildings. Particularly, to reduce the negative environmental impact occasioned by building use, there are several building systems that are prime candidates for automation. . The first system is Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), which is responsible for a significant proportion of total building energy consumption, approximated at 40%. When it comes to automated HVAC, the primary functions are controlled influence on the comfort levels of occupants in terms of temperature, humidity, pressure and air quality. Automating these functions reduces manual manipulation and realises savings in energy consumption while at the same time increasing efficiency in performance.
Issue 004 | December 2021
