Check out our updated post on this subject HERE.
According to a survey conducted by MACH Energy, 44% of 800 facility managers believe they have an energy management system (EMS) in place. In reality, more than 70% actually have a building management system (BMS or BAS). These results indicate, that even among users of these tools, there is confusion between the systems and what they do.
So what are the main differences? And how can you tell if you have an EMS or a BMS deployed?
A building management system or building automation system (BAS), is a computer based control system installed in building that controls and monitors the building’s mechanical and electrical equipment such as ventilation, lighting, power systems, and fire and security systems.
An energy management system is a system of computer aided tools used by operators of electric utility grids to monitor, control and optimize the generation and/or transmission system.
Key differences:
- BMS is primarily about real-time control, it is the steering control for the operating system. The systems are not built for dealing with historical data or reporting.
- EMS is primarily a reporting and decision support tool. It is a dashboard for energy data and can track trends and help decision makers
One reason it has become hard to differentiate between these two systems is because EMS functionality has been added to many BMS and vice versa. BMS/BAS only allow building teams to automate control, without giving insight into how much building systems should be adjusted and why. There is a growing case to support the adoption of both a BMS and an EMS in buildings, giving the building management both automated controls and data analysis.
Read the MACH Energy study, or learn more by clicking the source links below!
Sources:
Energy Management Today, Study: Confusion, Growth Opportunities in Building Management Systems
Commercial and Industrial Metering Solutions, BMS or EMS? Green Paper
