can also be tied into the system, enabling lights to turn on or off when a badge or card owner enters or exits a building. Optimization To ensure the accuracy of the data a BAS provides and meet goals for energy efficien-cy and building performance, it is important to properly maintain the system. Several steps ensure getting the most out of the BAS investment: 1. Post-installation commissioning 2. Periodic re-commissioning 3. Regular maintenance. The first step, post-installation commis-sioning, ensures that the BAS is operating according to the original design specifica-tions. However, it is important to note that com-missioning does not provide the broader picture — one which shows the full capa-bilities of the BAS and how the system can impact a building. The second step, periodic re-commis-sioning, can help correct these problems by evaluating the system against the way the building is actually used, rather than just against the design requirements. Re-commissioning programs often include a training component for facility managers and operators to ensure that they can keep the system operating optimally. The third step, maintenance of the BAS, is critical to its ability to help facility manag-ers make decisions on how to operate the building. Sensors go out of calibration, equip-ment is added or removed, spaces change and people override systems — just a few of the reasons that regularly scheduled maintenance should be conducted by quali-fied vendors who know the equipment and understand the software that controls the equipment. In addition, the service provider should have the ability to configure the BAS to provide greater visibility into how a building is operating and help implement cost-saving strategies. In buildings where few things change from year to year, an annual inspection of the BAS is the minimum requirement. However, in facilities that experience more frequent changes, consider more fre-quent maintenance inspections. The goal of facility management is to ensure that the BAS is optimized to provide multiple benefits — more than just operating equipment and controlling temperature in a building. By taking full advantage of the capabili-ties a BAS provides, facility managers can look closely at energy and cost savings as well as design strategies to address their changing environment — all while ensuring a comfortable, safe and sustainable envi-ronment. CM Juliet Pagliaro Herman, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate (LEED-GA), is the product manager for planned service in North America for Johnson Controls Inc. She serves as the board vice president of Milwaukee Community Service Corps, an organization that trains at-risk youth for jobs in the construction trades. Dimitri Papadopoulos is the product tech-nical support manager for service planning. He has worked for Johnson Controls for over 15 years. For additional information, please visit www. JohnsonControls.com. Circle Product Information no. 218 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 45
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