As integrated building management and building automation systems (BASs) become more reliant on sensors, switches, fans, alarms and other device networks to view the state of a building in real-time, the market for networked building controls is also expanding. Building owners and operators are seeing cost advantages offered by automated, granular, real-time control.
Worldwide shipments of communications nodes for BASs will reach 387 million annually by 2021, according to the "Smart Buildings Networking and Communications," report from Navigant Research.
The report analyzes three levels of the networked building automation controls market: field devices, floor/room-level devices and building-level devices that are used in HVAC, lighting, fire and life safety, and security and access.
"Networked together by one or more protocols, building automation systems can drastically reduce energy usage and costs, alert building operators to repair or maintenance needs, and provide significant upgrades to occupant comfort and safety," said Eric Woods, research director for Navigant Research. "This market is being driven not only by rising energy prices, but also by the increased availability of simple-to-use, web-based dashboards for building management."
The market is moving towards more open protocols to reduce time spent connecting building system networks that do not share the same communication protocol or are proprietary. The introduction of Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled devices is helping to ease this transition, according to the report.
