Building Control Systems

• Introduction
• The Fundamentals of Control Systems
• A Brief History of Automatic Control Systems
• Into the Digital Age
• Managing Control Systems on Campus
• Applications of Control Systems
• Energy Conservation Strategies
• Common Control Strategies
• The Future of Control Systems
• Summary and Endnotes

Introduction

Building heating and cooling control systems are independent systems that coordinate the building heating and cooling systems to create a pleasing environment for activities in the facility. Control systems come in various types and levels of sophistication; however, the desired result is a facility where the environment is comfortable, and that comfort is achieved at the lowest possible energy cost.

As modern facilities and available technology have evolved, control systems have grown in sophistication. Current systems coordinate comfort, manage energy use, report problem areas, and coordinate information to assist facilities managers in facilities operation.

Control systems in university facilities differ significantly from those found in homes and small commercial buildings. University facilities are complex. Continuous and variable thermal and moisture loads occur. Loads change throughout the day, based not only on the weather but also on the influx of people and activities. In the commercial environment, there is continuous exhaust of contaminated air to ventilate for the occupants. There is a higher expectation for comfort than people expect in their homes. There is also a need to minimize the cost to operate the building systems.

For these reasons, the heating and cooling systems in facilities have evolved to a high level of complexity. As systems have evolved, the need to coordinate the environmental systems has evolved.