Introduction

Are you interested to learn a Building management system course and looking for a class to join and don’t know,

• Where to start?
• What to learn?
• How to learn?
• How long time need to complete BMS System?
• What are the topics to cover or learn to understand overall BMS?

And if you are coming from the following backgrounds of

• Students
• Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical, Mechanical, or computers science.
• Fresh BMS Engineer.
• BMS Operator.
• Engineers from Facility Management.
• Project Engineers.
• Project Managers.
• Real estate Business Analyst.
• ELV Engineer.
• Energy Engineers.
• Contractor, consultant, client or system integrator

And looking forward to knowing more about BMS System, its products and various jobs opportunity, etc., 

Then you reached the right place.! yes.!

I am Hamza Mohamed Ansari, working and have experienced in various building management system products and completed, whereas projects in Qatar for the last six years.

Before proceeding further,

if you are interested in joining BMS Community, you can have a connection with me in Linkedin, or subscribe to my site, join the Facebook closed group.

I got requested to explain about BMS system from my readers to know about precisely what BMS System it is and how to learn.

So I planned to write some complete articles about 

• What is building management system? and 
• What should one learn to get the right job?
• How to understand deeply about building automation industry?
• What are the various roles of BMS Engineers?

Okay, let’s go in deep about what i am going to cover in this article!

Yes, the Building Management system is an expansive area, where you need to learn a lot! But that’s not precisely right dear. . !

Building management system courses or learning materials cannot be tightened with specific areas, 

it will keep on growing with new technology and the arrival of various products.

The level of importance of understanding the below concept is based on the field of work in BMS you are interested. However, go through all the subject for everyone is essential.

You can learn it soon if you understand precisely, what is the scope of work in building management system or what jobs or knowledge you are looking in these fields.

However, i am not going to cover the whole knowledge under each category in these articles. 

Instead, i am writing some basic definitions of it and providing you with the topics need to cover.

Don’t frustrate if stopped somewhere while you are learning/reading. If so then it is not your mistake, that means writer(it’s me) could not give what you want.! So, try to find out until what you need. 

 ”I think you have enough energy and time to proceed further.”

How to Learn the BMS System

Before proceeding further, Keep it in mind that the learning process is never ended,

Self Learning

• Self-learning is vital to success and essential for every day.
• The Internet has enough source to study anything and everything.
• Once you gather all topics or concept to cover, then you can learn by yourself with the help of YouTube or Google.

Join a course in online like udemy

• Because of substantial free resources available on the internet, we are just ignoring them, and it was not taken seriously. So its better to pay some bucks to get knowledge, so that you will be very serious and finish the course.
• Udemy is the best source for learning anything with low price.
• Search Building management system course or related topics course which covered under the area of expertise.

Finding a mentor in the BMS industry

• Even there are a lot, of course, available, if you have some doubts somewhere in recorded video, the course will not be that much useful.
• So, Mentorship, which is one to one learning, is the best solution, and it is much benefit and powerful.
• But finding a good mentor is a tedious process.
  • Search through LinkedIn with relevant field and ask them for mentorship by free or paid.
  • Try to meet and approach them directly.

If you very really want to learn in-depth of Building automation System then check out https://buildingautomationmonthly.com/ from Philip Zito who have much experience in Building Management system industry 

Joining related startup companies as an intern(if you are looking for a job)

• Last and best solution is to join some startup companies to learn practically(I know, you will be angry here if you are searching for jobs now)
• Get some basic knowledge all about BMS.
• Update the profile(show more interest in BMS field.
• Collect and list out all they system integrator companies in your preferred location.
• Contact them directly by phone call, email and meet managers in the office and offer them to work with the company as trainee or intern or with low salary.

Understand the scope of works, jobs, Roles in BMS

BMS Sales Engineer

• As technical BMS Sales engineer, you must have sound knowledge about presenting complex technical terms to customers.
• Understanding the BMS products features and explain it to the customer with how BMS system going to solve their problems.
• Keep your eyes with new upcoming projects and service around you and to prepare yourself with required knowledge, and convince clients or customer to understand how your company products can help and solve the real problems and benefit from the products.
• So, as a BMS Sales Engineer, it’s enough to have some knowledge under these following categories and sales skills.

BMS Estimation Engineer

• In-depth knowledge of Building Management Systems including Centralized HVAC systems with Chillers, Pumps, AHUs, FCUs, VAVs, VFDs, Boilers, etc.
• Good knowledge of third party interfaces like BACnet, Modbus, LON, OPC, etc.
• Proficient in working on Microsoft Office Excel and Word.
• Knowledge of AutoCAD and Microsoft Visio will be an added advantage.
• Excellent communication skills – both verbal and written.
• Onsite estimation support as on when required.

BMS Design Engineer

• BMS Design Engineer capable of understanding the requirement of clients in terms of technology.
• Able to read and understand BMS specifications.
• Propose the Building management systems as a submittal with the following documents
  • Able to select BMS Controllers, Sensors, Actuators and software as per specifications
  • Prepare Network schematics
  • BMS IO Schedule, Termination drawings which contains Input and output points 

BMS Testing & Commissioning engineer

BMS Testing and commissioning Engineer is responsible for followings which are a key role to test from the installation of the system to handover the system to the client 

Installation and termination

• •  
• Installing sensors and actuators as product manual given by respective vendors is a vital factor of performance for the operation of the BMS System.
• Identify the best location in the equipment based on which is recommended in the product manual and considering the availability of provision in the site. 
• Based on the sensors and actuators, BMS internal Networking, you need to install right cables from devices to DDC Controllers and terminate it in both sides.

 Pre-commissioning

• Good Pre-commissioning will reduce the most of testing time in the site.
• Pre-Commissioning is the activity of ensuring the correctness of the following things
• Cables termination between controller and field side.
• Configuring the Sensors and actuators as per requirement.
• Checking the internal wiring of the BMS DDC Controllers and power it up.

 Programming Engineer

• Should understand the sequence of operation of various equipment’s in BMS mainly HVAC related like chiller system, Air handling unit, Fan coil unit, Variable air Volume etc.
• Should write the program in Functional block(various method available for different vendors)based on the sequence of operation and given point list.
• Should know to write a flowchart for a given sequence of operation.

Graphics

• Graphics is nothing but to show connected equipment in BMS PC in graphical software provided by respective vendors.
• It needs only the necessary experience of using computer tools.
• Creating equipment’s graphics and adding/respective mapping points to images to animate.

 Testing and Commissioning

 Testing Equipment

• The program should be downloaded to the DDC Controller and check the sequence of operation.
• Should co-ordinate with respective equipment’s technicians while testing system from BMS DDC Controller.
•  

 Inspection

• Once the system is ready to control and monitor from BMS PC. Then Checklist should be submitted to the contractor/consultant to raise inspection.
•  
• The consultant will check every point from BMS PC to ensure the working of sensors and sequence of operation.

 Training and Handover

• Once testing and inspection finished, we need to handover the system to end-user by providing operational & manual and training.
• Training is the process of teaching end-user how to operate the system.
• How to check alarms, trend log, reports and scheduling.

 BMS Operators

• BMS Operator responsible for monitoring Building management system from the workstation.
• Record and report relevant data.
• Assign and report maintenance team if any alarms occur.
• acknowledging alarm from BMS workstation

Documents in the Building Management System

Following documents listed here to that must be familiar in building management system 

• HVAC Specifications
• ELV Specifications
• Material Submittal
• Engineering submittal
• Installation Method statement 
• Testing and commissioning Method Statement
• Installation Checklist
• Pre-commissioning Checklist
• Testing and commissioning Checklist
• Input and Output schedule
• Input and output termination drawings
• BMS Network schematics
• Sequence of operation
• BMS Shop Drawings
• HVAC Duct Drawings
• Plumbing Drawings
• Electrical Drawings
• ASbuilt drawings
• O&M Manual
• Training Manual

Understanding the main features of BMS in Buildings

Controlling and monitoring building equipment

• If any installed equipment’s in a site like a boiler, AC, doors, fans etc have provisions then it can be connected to BMS DDC Controller and programmed.

• Same monitored and controlled from BMS System.

Alarming

• if any connected types of equipment have malfunctioned, it will be configured in BMS software’s to raise alarm.
• this alarm can be used to shut off/on any machines, send it to email or SMS to the respective maintenance team to attend the issues.

 Trend-log

• Trend-log is stored value over a period of time.
• We can configure any sensors values, on/off status to record for any interval time and used to view later for analysis.

Scheduling

• In BMS Software we can configure to any equipment’s to on and off with scheduled time.
• So that energy and labour intervention will be saved.

 Third-party integration

• The building management system should control and monitor all the equipment in the building.
• But due to each equipment and a system like a fire alarm system, HVAC, access control, lighting control has unique functionality.
• So manufacturers designed and developed separate controller and software for all system and whereas BMS used to control and monitor HVAC and integrate other systems through software with a different protocol.

Main Areas to be expertise

Following topics are listed is not mean that you need to expert in that under all categories but understanding some basics is will help you to make better testing and commissioning of building management system.

However, i will try to explain the basics of below topics in an upcoming post.

Mechanical/MEP/HVAC system

• Chiller system and pumps.
• Air Handling Unit.
• Fan coil unit.
• Variable Frequency Drive.
• Variable Air Volume.
• The sequence of operations for above Equipment’s.
• Sensors and Actuators.

Electrical, Electronics and Control system

• Understand the basics of AC and DC Power supply.
• Basics of Voltage, Current, Resistors and Power.
• What is Ohms law?
• How to use electrical Power Meters.
• Relay.
• Transformer.
• Power Consumption calculation
• Basics of Digital Gates.
  • AND Gate.
  • OR Gate.
  • NOT Gate.
  • XOR gate.
• Basics of PID

Computers and science

• Installing software/windows OS in PC and Servers.
• Basics of Database and Servers.
• Understand The Basics of Programming languages.
  • How to write the flow chart for the given sequence.
  • C Language.
  • Functional blocks.
• Understand the Basics of Networking and Protocols.
  • OSI Model.
  • TCP/IP.
  • Serial Communications.
    • MSTP
    • RS 232.
    • RS 422.
    • RS 423.
    • RS 485.
    • and More.
  • Understand the availability of Building Networking protocols.
    • BACnet.
    • Modbus
    • Mbus.
    • LonTalk.
    • and More.

Understanding the Basics of other systems in Buildings to integrate into BMS

• Fire Alarm system.
• Lighting control system.
• CCTV and Security control systems.
• VRF or Variable Refrigeration Flow.
• And More.
• Third-Party Integration.

Other General Tools and Knowledge

• Understanding the basics of AutoCAD Drawings
• Specifications and Datasheet readers.
• Knowledge in MS-Office Tools.
• Documentation.

Read More

• What is DDC or Direct Digital Controller in BMS
• Understand the Basics of HVAC System

Hope you get the right information for building management system course and if you are going to learn BMS or building management system in anywhere, make sure that if the above topics are covered in the course material.