An Automated NSW Smart Solutions Guide

Understanding Your Building’s Digital Infrastructure

When I worked for a large controls company, our engineering file system was indexed by building address rather than customer name because facilities and their systems frequently changed hands. Building Automation Systems (BAS) typically evolve over many years, shaped by multiple system owners, vendor technicians, and shifting business priorities. Equipment is added and removed, buildings are connected or renovated, and each project operates within carefully defined scope boundaries that often exclude existing problems.

Just as you’d hire a professional home inspector to identify potential issues like mold, dry rot, foundation problems, and construction defects before purchasing a property, your first step in successfully managing a BAS should be understanding exactly what you’re dealing with. Automated NSW’s Existing Conditions Report uses various data points and analyses to help you understand your system’s operational status by identifying key characteristics. This report can serve as a living document, regularly updated as issues are resolved and systems are modified, providing an ongoing record of your BAS evolution and improvement. Here are eight important insights you will gain:

1.  Worst Alarm Offenders: Often, just a handful of poorly programmed alarms generate a disproportionate amount of your alarm traffic. By identifying these worst offenders, you can focus your improvement efforts to achieve maximum results with minimal investment of time and resources.
2. Inter-Panel Dependencies in Your Programming: Do you know what other systems might be affected if you need to power down a controller for service work or a firmware upgrade? For example, does a single outside air sensor provide temperature data for multiple systems’ resets and economizer decisions? It’s critical to identify these dependencies before shutting down any equipment.
3. Disabled and Non-functional Code: As programming is reused, revised, and reconfigured, it becomes bloated with disabled lines and commented-out sections. These remnants of previous versions make current programs harder to read and understand, significantly slowing down troubleshooting efforts.
4. Control Panels Dropping and Reconnecting to Your Network: Controllers should automatically reconnect when communication is interrupted, but recurring patterns indicate underlying issues requiring attention. If left unaddressed, panels will eventually drop and fail to reconnect entirely.
5. User Commands and Overrides: The “A” in BAS stands for Automation, but over time, operators leave their mark on the system. Programs are designed to function in automatic mode, so if users frequently override equipment, it signals potential issues with either the programming or the equipment itself.
6. Problematic Trend Definitions: Historical trend data is one of the most valuable tools in a BAS, but it can also severely impact your network if trends and collections aren’t properly configured. Identifying problematic trend configurations can prevent data loss from overfilled buffers and improve sluggish network performance.
7. Terminal Devices Still Set to Default Values: You might be surprised to discover terminal boxes that have been in your building for years have never actually been configured to operate, or have never successfully communicated with your server. Further investigation sometimes reveals a coil of wires taped to a capped duct where a terminal box once existed.
8. Network Health: Network performance is a critical component of your BAS that often goes unmonitored until problems arise. An Existing Conditions Report evaluates bandwidth utilization, collision rates, and network congestion points. Identifying bottlenecks in your network infrastructure can explain sluggish graphics, delayed commands, and other performance issues that frustrate operators. Proper network assessment ensures your control system communicates effectively and responds promptly to commands.