BENCHMARKING, DATABASING, BUILDING MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
 Most new or modernized schools incorporate at least some type of basic electronic control system. With technology so endemic in our day-to-day lives, it seems at times that we have overdeveloped the capabilities of some of our devices just because we can. A simple electronic home thermostat has more capability today than entire control systems 20 years ago, but do we want, need or use all that capability? The answer lies in what you want to do with that information that is gathered and if there is a cost benefit to the addition of the sophistication that is so compelling to incorporate on our projects.
The LEED rating system rewards owners who incorporate high levels of appropriate data monitoring and measurement and it does so because there is a payoff to knowing how your systems are behaving compared to expectations. It can also be used, in the case of a district with multiple similar facilities, to benchmark one facility against another for the purposes of identifying non-performing systems or inefficient operational strategies. Another significant benefit of today's digital control systems is they can record massive amounts of information for trending purposes to aid in troubleshooting and system optimization. The bottom line is that appropriate sophistication in controls and judicious monitoring can yield great benefits to the end user if expectations are clear and design teams deliver on those expectations.
It is easy to extol to the benefits of control systems but in order to get the best value; a little research can go a long way. Many plant operations and maintenance personnel have history with one or more manufacturers of controls and their experience should be considered when selecting a system. But the success of a control system is largely a product of the vendor/installer and a careful specification crafted to the specific needs of the project. Research, including references and talking to counterparts in other Districts and schools, is very useful in the process of understanding the type of system and which vendors are better at service and follow up. Careful consideration of the monitoring points and graphics associated with the points can also be a critical success factor. The success of a controls installation will also be enhanced with commissioning as discussed above.
Additional integration such as lighting, security, card access, inventory control, maintenance work order processing, fire alarm and irrigation controls should be considered and whether it can ride on the WAN backbone/data infrastructure. A good article on BMCS/controls and automation for schools can be found at http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/804.shtm (School Planning and Management).
- Lowell Shields
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