| SPECIAL FEATURES DIGITAL ENGINEERING: BMS, controlS AND SMART METERING Datacentres opinion This month: Urban Building Sciences case study, Hoare Leas Living Lab, smart meters Smart integration of systems must start with supply chain Building control is becoming more complex as building management systems are having to be integrated with HVAC systems with onboard controls. InTandem Systems Jon Belfield says further training is required for engineers S mart, connected technologies are increasingly giving clients the ability to optimise building performance. Intelligence in buildings offers an enormous opportunity to reduce energy use and increase environmental comfort in both new and existing buildings. However, this will only happen if consultants work closely with building management system (BMS) suppliers and integrators to ensure increasingly complex smart systems meet design and throughlife requirements. There is growing competition for controls, which is making integration tougher to manage. More suppliers are adding controls to their products. For example, lighting systems might now come with PIR sensors, and specifiers now have the choice of HVAC with increasingly sophisticated onboard controls. The boundaries are becoming blurred and specifications more open as designers have to decide whether it is better to buy controls for HVAC, or integrate the equipment through the BMS. As Building Controls Industry Association president, I am keen to raise both the professional status of BMS in the supply chain and increase controls awareness across the whole project team. Smart integration of building systems must start with the smart integration of the supply chain. One big shift would be to make the design and supply chain aware that they can add value to the design, even if it isnt written in a specification. This isnt a new concept it just isnt formally recognised. You will have sat in design review meetings, where a BMS engineer will offer advice backed up by training and experience on how to integrate a particular system to achieve operational requirements. These nuggets of expertise are golden when it comes to achieving building performance. One opportunity is to identify how dynamic design changes by BMS engineers can be managed and documented to become part of the measured outcomes. Adding value to the design in this way doesnt necessarily mean adding cost money can be saved while improving the design. Now there is a true definition of value engineering With more training and professional access to those doing the integration, designers specifications are less likely to fall foul to outbreaks of vandal engineering, where systems or components critical to the success of the BMS are swapped for a cheaper alternative that undermines the ability of the building to operate properly. Specifiers can name a preferred supplier, but they also have to offer contractors the chance to procure equal or approved alternatives. But how does equal get assessed and what is the process for approval to ensure the skill set is there to deliver the project ? Many engineers making this choice lack the knowledge to make the optimum decision. The answer is training, so the appointed system integrators are competent and confident in selecting and using the BMS to integrate fully with all the systems in the building. As part of this demand for increasing system integration capability, and to raise professional standards, a Trailblazer Apprenticeship for BEMS Control Engineers, supported by the BCIA, has been approved and will be launched next September (see June 2018 CIBSE Journal, bit.ly/CJDec18JB). The training scheme is not just aimed at young apprentices but also mature learners maybe they are changing industry or upskilling and existing controls engineers, so they have the opportunity to update their skills (by accrediting their previous experience). By definition, system integration is a never-ending learning programme; this has to be the mindset for any BMS engineer. The ultimate goal is to ensure engineers will be awarded a BEMS gold card proving they are competent to ensure the final BMS selection really is equal or approved. Make the design and supply chain aware they can add value to thedesign Jon Belfield FCIBSE is managing director of InTandem Systems Commissioning complexity If systems and products are selected on their individual merit to meet client requirements, it is critical that a full audit is carried out after they have been integrated to ensure systems link neatly as a smart building solution. The audit should ensure the integration delivers an efficient and effective system that can be maintained and supported throughout the period between refurbishments and upgrades. www.cibsejournal.com December 2018 35 CIBSE Dec18 pp35 Jon Belfield.indd 35 23/11/2018 16:03