Building Automation Systems Arrive In The 21st Century
Given the false starts in the 1980s and the largely unfulfilled promises of the 1990s, being fashionably tardy for the 2000s is refreshing. It would be far too easy to point fingers at those institutions and individuals who caused the delay of meaningful technology to be implemented in our industry. Instead, let’s talk of how things have come together and the resultant benefits to building owners, occupants, and the enterprises that need comfortable, efficient, and productive environments.
Computerized building automation control systems have run a parallel, if compressed, path. In the early 1970s, we struggled with developing automated alternatives to the electrical and mechanical devices relied upon for comfort and safety. Then we sold them aggressively but found that many building owners and operators were unaware of what benefits could be derived from automation. So marketing became a requirement, with the focus on saving energy dollars, increased productivity, and reduced requirements for facilities staff.