'A building management system should feel like your own smartphone'

Text: Laura Timmermans
Image: Marco de Swart

A building management system (BMS) with the ease of use of a smartphone? According to Gerben de Haan, sales manager at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, the future. 'In the past, you had a wallet, a phone and a camera. Just as you now carry them bundled and personalized in the form of a smartphone in your pocket, we will soon be controlling an entire building from one central BMS.'

One system for building management, energy monitoring, fire alarms, lighting, access, climate and the digital twin. A cluster of different systems monitors and controls all these diverse building functions. Often from different suppliers, but all with the same goal; improving a building in many ways, reducing energy consumption and increasing comfort for those present.
With all these different possibilities, the question also arises whether it is time for an all-encompassing platform. We put these and other questions about, among other things, the influence of new laws and regulations, such as having a Building Automation and Control Systems (GACS) and complying with NIS2 regarding cybersecurity, to sales manager Gerben de Haan.

What are your thoughts on a second generation GBS?

'Not only am I a big supporter of it, I think there is also a need for it in the market. Everyone - from end users to installers - can benefit from it. Some because there is only one platform from which they can control, monitor and adjust everything, others because they can accommodate all installation components under a clear umbrella. I also see a role for the BMS as part of a microgrid, in which electric cars, building management systems, batteries and solar panels work together to balance the energy grid. This is not limited to your own postcode and house number, but extends to buildings around it. You use energy and are at the same time a source of sustainably generated energy.'

What features do you think should be part of such a GBS 2.0?

'The most important thing is that the GBS feels like a smartphone. Everyone with an Android or iOS device has a phone that is 80 percent similar. The other 20 percent can be personalized by the end user, as should be the case with a GBS. In terms of functions, you can make it as crazy as you want. That is why I would not exclude any function and I am even thinking of a marketplace for GBS systems where every supplier or developer offers their product/function. Interested parties can then, depending on their needs, shop for components. The basis should therefore be an open basic network, from which a GBS can be built.'

Are there any specific protocols we should consider?

'To ensure that it doesn't clash, you need an open platform that works on the basis of common protocols. In the world of building automation, BACnet is such a standard. It doesn't matter which other suppliers you use. If they all work with the same market standards, you can easily process their solutions in one BMS. Standardizing the protocols can ensure that the actual realization of an overarching building management system gains momentum. At the moment, every building owner, supplier or installer has their own principles. That freedom is counterproductive. As soon as you agree on a standard together, you can make progress.'

Sounds like a plan. What's stopping us?

'You don't implement a GBS for just one or two years. It is a one-time expensive investment that you will then benefit from for more than ten years. We are currently in an overlapping phase. New technologies are storming the market, while the 'older' management systems have not yet been written off.'
'That leaves building managers in a quandary. On the one hand, they want to move with the times and make a building even smarter. On the other hand, they see no added value in a 'second generation' BMS because the current system still functions perfectly and a new version is a big bite out of the financial budget.'
'We should therefore try to break through the conservative, money-conscious way of thinking. Such a super-smart GBS relieves worries, thinks along about energy use, possible energy savings and gives tips about the optimal comfort level for employees. Yes, in the short term you feel that in your wallet, but in the long term it yields a lot.'

New technologies are abundant. What effect do laws and regulations have on them?

'If we examine a BMS of today, I conclude that you need to add a lot of extra functionalities for a new version. The directive on Building Automation and Control Systems (GACS) certainly makes it necessary to get started with this. The directive requires the presence of a GACS for non-residential buildings with a combined nominal capacity (cooling and/or heating) of 290 kW or more from 1 January 2026. This requirement fulfils the second revision of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD III).'

'This means that from that date onwards, companies will have to measure and register how much energy they consume, so that they can intervene if there are any deviations. Many of today's building management systems do not have that functionality. So now is actually the time to adjust your BMS so that you can comply with that regulation. If you are at it anyway, do it right away; integrate additional functionalities that make your building future-proof.'

What about cybersecurity?

'Legislation and regulations also play an important role in this. The Cyber Security Act, the NIS2 directive, means that companies must demonstrate that they are cyber-resilient, or that they cannot simply be hacked. That requires a lot from companies. At the same time, in addition to something like GACS, it forms another trigger for building owners or clients to adapt the current BMS to the current standards.'
'As the initiator of the Charter of Trust, Siemens also encourages chain parties, including installers and maintenance parties, to think carefully about possible cyber risks. Of course, a great deal of responsibility also lies with the users of building management systems. What processes do you have as an organization to secure your installations? Is there, for example, an Emergency Management Procedure for cyber attacks? Do you check whether security updates are actually installed? Many companies should pay even more attention to this.'

'On the other hand, there are more opportunities to outsource cybersecurity via the Cloud. This has been common practice in IT for years. The question remains how much companies are willing to pay for such services. Investing in cybersecurity does not immediately provide extra functionality. If you are well protected, you probably won't notice a hacking attempt. Compare it to a seat belt. These days, it is standard in every car. But would we want it if we had to pay extra for it?'

'What is a virus scanner on your building management system worth to you? Ultimately, each company has to make that decision for itself, but as far as we are concerned, it has long since ceased to be optional. Unfortunately, we still see too often that the price is the deciding factor without any attention being paid to cybersecurity.'

What does all this mean for installers?

'A new, extensive building management system includes an incredible number of different elements, both E and W oriented. In my opinion, many installation companies pretend to be all-round, but behind the front door they still outsource E and W tasks, fire safety and cybersecurity to different contact persons. For a BMS in which all factors really work together, you need installers with knowledge of different systems. The difficulty for them lies in being able to put themselves in the shoes of and see the added value for the end user. What they often forget is that it is a significant one-off investment in time and knowledge. The ultimate goal is that they have as little interaction with the system as possible, because it regulates everything itself. In the long run, that saves you time and money. In other words; it pays for itself.'

'They should also not be held back by their possibly limited knowledge. In that case, simply ask a party that does have knowledge, such as a system integrator. Techniek Nederland, TVVL and FHI Gebouw Automatisering have been saying it for a while now: bundle knowledge and expertise, make use of what is available in the market. Collaboration is the word that takes us to the future, or in this case a 'second generation' building management system.'

Read the original article on the Techniek Nederland website.

Technology Netherlands