Mechanical
BMS and controls design
Building management system and controls design, including control philosophy, points schedules and commissioning requirements.
- Discipline
- Mechanical
WHAT IT IS
Controls design defines how the mechanical and electrical plant is operated: what is measured, what is controlled, what the setpoints are, what happens on failure, and what the building operator sees.
A controls specification is where a large share of the gap between designed and actual energy performance is either created or closed. Plant that is correctly sized and incorrectly controlled will not deliver its design performance.
WHEN YOU NEED IT
On any project with more than the simplest plant. Also on existing buildings where energy use is high and the plant is sound — in which case the controls are usually the problem, and re-commissioning is far cheaper than replacement.
DELIVERABLES
What you receive
- Control philosophy
- Points schedule
- Controls schematics
- Commissioning and witnessing requirements
- Operator interface requirements
STANDARDS
Standards applied
The editions in force at the time of design. Where a standard is amended mid-project we confirm which edition the appointment is based on.
QUESTIONS
Common questions
What is a control philosophy?
A control philosophy is the written description of how each system is intended to operate — the sequences, setpoints, interlocks, alarms and failure modes. It is the document a controls contractor programmes from and the document commissioning is witnessed against.