How Heat-Timer® Controls Can Make Your Building Management System Better

A Building Management System (BMS), also called Building Automation System (BAS) is a system that allows building managers to monitor and control a building’s major mechanical and safety systems in one central, easy-to-use application.

A BMS can be thought of as a distributed network of building systems supervised and controlled in one central platform. The network of field controllers and other system controllers are distributed throughout the building and communicate to the BMS through a local area network.

Field controllers can be general purpose, supplied by the BMS integrator and used for simple applications like lighting control, ventilation fans and building access. With a BMS, these applications can also be separated by zone, floor or other combinations to yield optimal HVAC performance.

Field controllers for mission critical systems like fire alarms and heating are specialized and can act independently, as well as under BMS control. The Heat-Timer® Platinum series boiler control is a good example of a controller that is fully independent, yet capable of passing variables and status to the BMS. The BMS also has the capability to change the Platinum controller’s setpoints remotely.

The Heat-Timer® Platinum Controller works with all BMS

The Platinum series controller, like most controllers in the BMS network, primarily communicates to the BMS application through BACnet.  BACnet is a Building Automation and Control protocol specifically designed for the needs of building systems.  By communicating via BACnet the Heat-Timer and the BMS can speak to each other via a common language.  The BMS can ask for status about temperature, boiler firing rate and other important information that the Heat-Timer is controlling or monitoring.

Over the years since its introduction, the BACnet protocol has become the universal language of building automation. This protocol allows Heat-Timer’s Platinum controllers to be capable of integrating seamlessly into any and all building management systems.

While having all building systems controlled in one place is not only highly convenient for a building manager, it can drastically reduce operating and maintenance costs with a short return on investment.  Statistics show that 70% of a building’s total energy cost is in lighting, heating and cooling, which can all be controlled and optimized by a BMS. Of that 70% in energy cost, almost 50% of a building’s total energy costs are for heating and cooling.  That is where Heat-Timer™ can make any building management system better at its core purpose – saving fuel and running the equipment efficiently.

Let Heat-Timer® manage the boilers

The Platinum series controllers by Heat-Timer™ are designed and optimized for efficient, cost saving boiler control. The Platinum controller works hand in hand with the BMS to make the entire building more efficient. If the BMS is the  General Contractor, the Heating Control is the sub who takes care of the heating system.

For example, the Heat-Timer® control can respond to the call for heat from the BMS, and then optimize the boiler temperature and cycling based on the outdoor conditions.  This is made possible by the Platinum controller’s use of sensor data, outdoor reset, and most importantly, its own self-learning algorithms that map the heat transfer characteristics of your building over time.

The BMS can also respond to the tenant’s weekend and holiday schedules, reducing temperature setpoints based on reduced occupancy and ensuring it is comfortable when residents return. Whether managing one boiler or ten, the Platinum controller can respond to changes in your heating schedule and efficiently balance the fluctuating heating load.

As a fail safe, if the Platinum controller loses communication with the BMS because of downtime or network failure, the Platinum controller remains fully functional.  Utilizing its own outdoor and indoor temperature sensors, the Platinum controller will monitor and maintain the building’s temperature for as long as necessary until communication is re-established with the BMS.

Whatever BMS you have, Heat-Timer® is the smart choice for boiler control

When it comes to saving energy and lowering costs, a BMS is only as good as the network controllers it supervises. To maximize energy savings while optimizing system control, it makes sense to choose the best boiler controls available – the Platinum series by Heat-Timer®. Visit https://www.heat-timer.com/

Original content posted on https://www.heat-timer.com/how-heat-timer-controls-can-make-your-building-management-system-better/

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