Introduction to Building Automation Systems

In Introduction to Building Automation Systems, you'll learn ...

• The purpose, benefits, and core functions of Building Automation Systems (BAS)
• The evolution of building controls and the components of modern BAS
• How BAS devices communicate using protocols such as BACnet and Modbus
• Advanced BAS applications, including predictive maintenance and renewable energy integration

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 1 PDH

Length: 22 pages

The course begins with a foundational introduction to Building Automation Systems (BAS), explaining their purpose as centralized platforms that automate and integrate HVAC, lighting, power, plumbing, refrigeration, fire protection, and life safety systems. Learners explore how BAS improve energy efficiency, comfort, and building safety through real-time monitoring, automated responses, and optimized sequences of operation. The course also provides a historical overview, tracing BAS evolution from early pneumatic and electric controls to modern Direct Digital Controls (DDC) that use open protocols like BACnet to achieve full system interoperability.

Next, the course delves into BAS hardware, software, and networking fundamentals. Key BAS components such as sensors, controllers, actuators, field devices, user interfaces, and communication networks are explained in depth, along with how these elements work together to gather data, execute commands, and manage building performance. Communication protocols like BACnet and Modbus, along with network topologies such as daisy-chain, star, and ring configurations, are also introduced to illustrate how BAS devices connect and exchange information reliably across a building.or develop their own codes. Maps and tables are provided to more clearly understand how different states approach building codes.

A major portion of the course focuses on applying BAS to energy efficiency and HVAC optimization. Concepts such as demand-dependent ventilation, air volume control, temperature control, static pressure regulation, and zone-level environmental management are explained in the context of reducing energy consumption while maintaining comfort. The course also covers how BAS enable advanced strategies like Automated Demand Response (ADR), allowing buildings to respond to grid signals by adjusting HVAC and lighting systems to reduce peak electrical demand.

Finally, the course expands into advanced BAS applications, including predictive maintenance and renewable energy integration. Learners see how modern BAS use wireless sensors, real- time analytics, anomaly detection, and machine learning to identify equipment faults before they occur. The course also explores how BAS intelligently manage solar, wind, and geothermal energy systems, coordinate energy storage, and balance loads to maximize renewable energy utilization. Through these topics, the course provides a complete understanding of how BAS support efficient, resilient, and future-ready building operations.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• The purpose and functionality of Building Automation Systems (BAS) and their role in managing HVAC, lighting, power, and life safety systems.
• The historical development of building automation technologies from pneumatic and electric controls to DDC and IoT-enabled systems.
• Key components of BAS, including sensors, controllers, field devices, communication networks, and operator interfaces.
• Major BAS communication protocols such as BACnet, Modbus, and Ethernet, and their role in achieving interoperability among systems.
• Common BAS network topologies (daisy-chain, star, and ring) and their advantages, disadvantages, and use cases.
• Principles of energy efficiency in BAS, focusing on HVAC automation, room-level and distribution-level control parameters, and operational optimization.
• The concept and implementation of Demand Response (DR) and Automated Demand Response (ADR) in buildings using BAS.
• Predictive maintenance strategies using BAS data analytics, wireless instrumentation, and edge analytics to improve equipment reliability.
• How BAS can integrate with renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, and geothermal energy, and manage energy storage for optimized performance.
• BAS’s contribution to sustainability and net-zero goals, including its role in decarbonization, energy management, and grid interaction.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 10 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.