Should BAS design start before the equipment is approved?
By Bassirou Thiam, building automation engineer · Updated
Ideally not. Designing controls around equipment that is still “or equal”, with a sequence under revision, usually means designing twice. In practice, equipment is often only fixed after buyout, so start with what is firm and list clearly what each drawing assumes.
What to have before starting
- the selected equipment model, not “or equal”;
- its electrical requirements and the controls points it exposes;
- the communication protocol;
- the sequence of operations, accepted;
- the sensor locations;
- the alarms the owner expects.
When you have to start anyway
Mark provisional items on the drawings and keep the riser and points list in one source, so the second pass is an update, not a redraw.
Sources
Related
GuidesBAS controls submittal checklistEvery item a BAS controls submittal usually contains, from schematics and riser to points list, sequences, PICS and record drawings, as listed in real specs.
GuidesHow to write a sequence of operationsWhat a sequence of operations covers, how to structure it by mode, how it ties to the points list, and where ASHRAE Guideline 36 fits.
QuestionsHow do you keep BAS as-builts up to date?As-builts are not made at the end of the job. How to keep one source file for the BAS drawings so the submittal becomes the record documents without retyping.