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What is a building management system? Priva explains...

With a building management system, you automatically control the indoor climate in your building. With this, you can easily ensure a comfortable and healthy indoor climate.
Building Management
Smart Building
Building Automation
16 May 2022

A building management system also known as a BMS, is a fully computer-operated and automated control system that controls and monitors a building’s mechanical and electrical equipment. This includes ventilation, lighting, electricity systems, fire extinguishing systems, and security systems.

Control important parameters with a good building management system

With a building management system, you automatically control the CO2 concentration, air humidity and air pressure in your building. This can be done using sensors that automatically connect with your BMS. Included are temperature and air humidity sensors affixed to the wall, immersed temperature sensors, or channel sensors for CO2. It is additionally possible to connect motion detectors to your BMS.

The advantages of a smart building management system

A well configured and intelligent building management system is essential for any modern building. The advantages of a smart building information system can be categorized in four pillars: costs, comfort, control and maintenance, and environment.

1. Cost savings in your building

Are you considering replacing the BMS  in your current building, or do you have real estate under construction? If so, investing in a modern BMS would be a wise idea. A Priva BMS could save you up to 40% on energy compared to your current BMS.

2. Optimal comfort for building users

Did you know that people perform best at a temperature of about 21 degree Celsius and relative humidity of between 40% and 60%? You can achieve a comfortable and pleasant indoor climate for building users with a modern BMS system with zone control.

3. Always in control of your building

A good BMS means you are in control of your building 24/7. Because Priva Building Operator and Priva Digital Services work entirely in the cloud, you can manage your building from your computer, tablet or smartphone. This allows you to have an overview of your building performance at all times. It is also possible to receive push notifications and text messages with important updates.

4. A smart and sustainable building

Our experience has shown that it is especially older BMSs that often lack in optimal performance. The maintenance to these systems are therefore complicated and relatively expensive as a result. With a BMS from Priva, you avoid high costs from wear and tear. Because our systems are ‘smart’, based on the latest technology, they only work where and when necessary. Your installation doesn’t have to stay switched on at all times if this is not necessary. 

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Innovations in building management systems

The world of building management is changing and smart buildings are becoming increasingly important. A modern building management system is an important part of that. In a smart building, you not only create a comfortable indoor climate, but building users can also easily find a parking space, flexible workspace, meeting room or their colleagues.

With Priva bGrid you have one system incorporating all the functionalities for an optimal working environment. With a BMS from Priva, you are already taking an important step towards the future.

Examples of innovations in BMSs include:

1. Digital twins

digital twin is a fictional simulation of how the building would operate in actuality. The aim is to make predictions about the required values of the system and what equipment is needed to ensure the system operates as efficiently as possible.

2. Building energy management system (BEMS)

As soon as you decide to merge your BMS and energy registration and monitoring system, you actually have a Building Energy Management System (BEMS). This is an automated system with fully computer-operated control based on artificial intelligence (AI), without human intervention.

Linking building management systems to cloud services

By using an integrated building management system, that is linked to cloud services via building automation, you, the building manager, are able to monitor the important parameters of a building at all times. Because the BMS is fully automated (effectively a building automation system), it automatically responds to climatological changes inside and outside the building and adjusts the important systems of the building accordingly. This could include sun awnings that automatically descend as soon as the sun is shining on the building, or heating that automatically switches on, off or adjusts when required. With this automation, you simultaneously improve your BMS’s energy performance.

Priva building management systems and BACnet protocol

Priva supplies all the hardware and software (such as Blue ID C or Blue ID S, for instance) needed to set up or update your building information system. We also supply the sensors that collect and feed back the data for your building management system. Whichever system you choose, all of PRIVA’s building management solutions run on the BACnet protocol. BACnet was specially designed to facilitate the communication in building management and regulation applications. BACnet describes how devices exchange information with each other and it manages the building management system software, regulators, sensors and actuators so that they communicate with each other.

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Would you like more information? We are happy to help you!

Bill Whittaker

Business Development Manager

Bill Whittaker