Building management system, BMS/Building automation system BAS

is a general term defining a system that gives the ability to monitor and manage selected or all devices/installations and subsystems located in a building and its surroundings. BMS can gather in one place (selected) information from the entire building and its environment, to react in real time towards changes in external and internal conditions, and as a result to ensure comfort and functionality while maintaining energy efficiency.

Additionally, BMS can also improve the safety and comfort of use of the building. Commonly it is assumed that the BMS system first manages the control systems of technical functions of the building, which can be grouped into two subsystems: the electrical energy control subsystem, e.g. lighting installations, and the thermal comfort control subsystem, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning i.e. HVAC system. Such a system is sometimes called BEMS – Building Energy Management System to underline focus on Energy aspects. However, when BEMS is additionally connected to a system that manages security aspects (i.e. some kind of Security Management System, SMS), which includes e.g. fire protection system and smoke extraction, alarm system, monitoring, access control (eg access codes, card readers), then it is often called Integrated building management system (IBMS).

BMS/IBMS systems are most often installed in hotels, office buildings, sports centers and other recreational facilities. It is worth mentioning that today there is no modern hotel facility that would not be an intellgent building at the same time, in other words a building managed by BMS class software. In case of hotels, its BMS/IBMS system most often include also other functionalities typical for the services they provide, such as: automatic reservation of rooms, or supervision of the schedule of operations and maintenance services.

[1] „Inteligentne rozwiązania w hotelach”, Inteligentny Budynek, 27.06.2016, https://www.inteligentnybudynek.eu/inteligentne-rozwiazania-w-hotelach/