The document discusses building automation and controls, including a brief history of controls systems from the 1950s to present. It covers current issues like proprietary vs open protocols and trends like wireless integration. The future of building automation systems is predicted to include more internet-based integration, use of web services, and systems that increasingly manage energy and retro-commission buildings through self-tuning controls.

1. Building Automation and
Controls: What’s New and
What Will the Future Bring?
Presented to the Illinois Chapter ASHRAE
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
By Gaylen Atkinson
President
Atkinson Electronics

2. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
BUILDING AUTOMATION &
CONTROLS,
WHAT’S NEW & WHAT WILL THE
FUTURE BRING?
PRESENTER: GAYLEN ATKINSON
PRESIDENT
ATKINSON ELECTRONICS, INC.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
March 2010
BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS,
WHAT’S NEW & WHAT WILL THE
FUTURE BRING?
1. Basic control definitions
2. Brief history of HVAC Controls &
Building Automation Systems
(BAS)
3. Current BAS issues and trends
4. What does the BAS future look
like?
BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS,
PURPOSES OF CONTROLS
 Reduce equipment capacity to maintain
desired ambient conditions, temperature,
% RH, pressure, etc.
 Reduce the amount of human labor needed.
 Keep processes operating at safe levels.
 Operate process to maintain environment
using the least amount of energy possible.

3. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS,
BASIC CONTROL DRFINITIONS
 Controlled variable = Y
 Control Set point = X
 Controlled medium = water or air
 Controlled device = valve or damper motor
 Proportional band = 1/gain
 Control action may be direct or reverse
(positive or negative slope)
 DDC = Direct Digital Control using micro
processors or computers.
TYPES OF CONTROL
 Feed forward or open loop.
 Feed back or closed loop.
 Two position: (on – off).
 Timed two position: ie heat anticipator T’s stat.
 3-point floating: increase, decrease or stop,
also step & wait w/ micro processor.
 Proportional (0 to 10VDC, 4-20mA and 3 to 15 PSI
P – Proportional only
PI – Proportional + Integral
PID – Proportional + Integral + Derivative
Control Systems During the 1950’s & 1960’s
1950’s:
• Reasonably Accurate Pneumatic Sensors &
Controllers
• Fairly Comfortable Environmental Conditions
1960’s:
• Improved System Design & Performance (VAV)
• Proliferation of Sensor/Receiver-Controller
Concept
• Pneumatic Control Systems Are Industry
“Norm.”

4. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
Control Systems During the 1970’s
1970’s:
• Micro-Chip Analog Electronic Control &
Computerized Energy Management
Systems
• Initial Computer Based Systems Were
Costly & Performed Minimal Control
Functions; Typically Only Monitored
Pneumatic Control Systems
Control Systems During the 1980’s
1980’s:
• Pneumatic systems continue
• Microprocessor based panels with high
density inputs & outputs
• Introduction of “Smart” Controllers
• Proliferation of Application-Specific DDC
Control Modules
• Higher System Capability Per $ Investment
Control Systems During the 1990’s
1990’s:
• Electronic systems replace pneumatics
• Open Protocols Introduced
•BACnet
•LON
• World Wide Web Becomes Popular

5. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
Control Systems 2000 & Beyond
2000’s:
• Internet Dominates BAS systems
• Wireless Technologies proliferate
• Smart Building Systems
• Full Building integration
• Future ????
CURRENT BAS ISSUES &
TRENDS:
 Proprietary and open protocols.
PROTOCOL - PROPERTIES
 Proprietary – individually controlled
 Shared – Strategic alliances
 Open – General use
 Defacto Standard – Industry accepted
(e.g. Ethernet, Modbus, IP, etc.)
 Standard – Agency/Association Approved
(e.g. Lontalk, Bacnet, Arcnet, etc.)

6. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
WHY OPEN PROTOCOL
THAT’S WHY !
LEVELS OF
INTEROPERABILITY
 Coexistance
 Systems don’t interfere nor they cooperate
 Solution Specific
 Requires Joint development & Engineering
 Plug & Play
 Effortless integration of various manufacturing
components
 Interchangeability
 Products are functionally identical

7. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
CURRENT BAS ISSUES &
TRENDS:
 Proprietary and open protocols.
 DDC control hardware is becoming a
commodity
 A BAS is usually part of a building
information systems (I.S.) backbone
 Integration to the internet is a given
INTERNET INTEGRATION
Proprietary
Front-End
Controls Contractor
BAS Salesman Building Engineer
Internet
Open System
Building Manager
Front-End Controller(s)
Application
Controller(s)
Owner
CURRENT BAS ISSUES &
TRENDS:
 Proprietary and open protocols.
 DDC control hardware is becoming a commodity
 A BAS is usually part of a building information
systems (I.S.) backbone
 Integration to the internet is a given
 Control contractors are now system integrators
 Software not hardware is the heart of today’s BAS
systems

8. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
CURRENT BAS ISSUES AND TRENDS
CONT’D:
 New section 2300 replaces division 15 of
specifications
 BAS have the capacity and are being used
for much more than just control
FULL BAS
Ethernet INTEGRATION UPS
Irrigation & Electrical
Alternate Energy
WiFi Wireless Water Management Controls
Rate Purchase
Network Security
Manager
Internet
Card Access
Network
Manager Lighting Controls
Ethernet AHU’s
Fire/Smoke Terminal Units
Control HVAC System Central Plant
LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION

9. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
CURRENT BAS ISSUES AND TRENDS
CONT’D:
 New section 2300 replaces division 15 of
specifications
 BAS have the capacity and are being used
for much more than just control
 Wireless is expanding rapidly
WIRELESS BAS
INTEGRATIONS:
 Point to Point (sensor to VAV box)
 WIFI for using a laptop for commissioning
 MESH wireless networks
 Cellular modems on BAS equipment
 Zigbee, RFID, etc.
CURRENT BAS ISSUES AND TRENDS
CONT’D:
 New section 2300 replaces division 15 of
specifications
 BAS have the capacity and are being used
for much more than just control
 Wireless is expanding rapidly
 Power and control communications on the
same wire is emerging

10. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
SAME-WIRE POWER &
CONTROL
 Simple 120VAC light switching
 Powerline data communication
 24VAC power & network traffic for HVAC
actuators and sensors
 Utility metering & add-on services
 Home automation
CURRENT BAS ISSUES AND TRENDS CONT’D:
 New section 2300 replaces division 15
 BAS have the capacity and are being used for much
more than just control
 Wireless is expanding rapidly
 Power and control communications on the same wire
is emerging
 Internet user expectations drive BAS features
 Full control systems are coming with HVAC
mechanical equipment
 BAS must integrate with user’s management computer
systems, there are many users, not just the building
engineers
INTERNET INTEGRATION
Proprietary
Front-End
Controls Contractor
BAS Salesman Building Engineer
Internet
Open System
Building Manager
Front-End Controller(s)
Application
Controller(s)
Owner

11. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
BAS ISSUES AND TRENDS
CONT’D:
 Knowledge of how to control HVAC and integrate
much more important than any vendor’s system
 Web services such as weather, technical data base and
data processors are more common
 Commissioning, monitoring and trending are common
uses of BAS, also data archiving
 BAS are used in LEED projects for building monitoring
and performance verification
 Smart building systems are driving innovative uses of
BAS into every area of a building
SMART BUILDING BAS
 Knowledge based software for maintenance &
re-commissioning expert system
 Self-tuning control systems are becoming more
common-besides trial & error PID tuning
 Control device manufacturer libraries replace
O&M manuals
 Fuzzy logic & other techniques optimize
building operations artificial intelligence
BAS ISSUES AND TRENDS CONT’D :
 Knowledge of how to control HVAC and integrate
much more important than any vendor’s system
 Web services such as weather, technical data base and
data processors are more common
 Commissioning, monitoring and trending are common
uses of BAS, also data archiving
 BAS systems are used in LEED projects for building
monitoring and performance verification
 Smart building systems are driving innovative uses of
BAS into every area of a building
 M2M networking driving every connected component
to being internet addressable

12. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
M2M
and
End User
Internet-addressable
Internet
TCP/IP
Network Network Network
Manager Manager Manger
Lon or
BACnet
HVAC Lighting Security Access Irrigation
WHAT BAS TRENDS WILL HAVE
STAYING POWER INTO THE FUTURE:
 BAS are part of the building “IS” network, many new
players are entering the market
 Wireless and power-line control will dominate,
reducing installation costs
 Control hardware will be a smaller percentage of
mechanical budget, programming costs will grow
 Internet direction will drive BAS and building controls
OLD CO-EXISTENT
BUILDINGS
Proprietary Proprietary Proprietary
HVAC Lighting System Security System

13. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY
End User
Internet
TCP/IP
BACnet Lon
Translator Translator
HVAC Lighting Security Access
FUTURE
TECHNOLOGY???
End User
Internet
TCP/IP
Everything is based on Internet Protocol
HVAC Lighting Security Access
WHAT BAS TRENDS WILL HAVE
STAYING POWER INTO THE FUTURE:
 BAS is part of the building “IS” system, many other players are
entering the market
 Wireless and power-line control will dominate, reducing
installation costs
 Control hardware will be a smaller percentage of mechanical
budget, programming costs will grow
 Internet direction will drive BAS and building controls
 BAS will increasingly become more utilized to manage energy
and resources in a building
 Retro-commissioning both BAS and mechanical, will be driven
by increasing energy costs and change in building usage
 Much more HVAC equipment will come complete with a
control system
 Self commissioning and auto tuning systems will become the
norm

14. Building Automation & Controls March 9, 2010
LINKS FOR MORE
INFORMATION
 www.automatedbuildings.com
 www.bacnet.org
 www.lonmark.org
 www.betterbricks.com
 www.caba.org
 www.ashrae.org
 www.echelon.com
 www.tridium.com
 www.atkinsonelectronics.com
 www.johnsoncontrols.com
 www.honeywell.com
 www.invensys.com
 www.sbt.siemens.com
 www.delta controls.com
 www.automatedlogic.com
 www.tac.com