One supplier claims says that LONWORKS is the only true plug and play option on the market. Another says that BACnet is the only truly scalable open standard. Yet another tells you that a Tridium or TCP/IP-based solution is the way to go. In addition, you need to make sure that your choice of building automation systems doesn’t limit your choice of equipment suppliers or the amount of information you can share between the equipment and the control system.

Once you have selected your system, there are questions you should ask about your controls installation contractor. What level of support do they offer? How long have they been in business? How long have they had a relationship with the manufacturer they propose to furnish? How does that manufacturer bring their products to market? Are they well versed in mechanical systems and IT technologies?

At Hoffman Building Technologies, we tailor our choice of products to the unique requirements of each building automation project. Do you have a chiller that comes with a BACnet interface? Our Alerton control system products are true native BACnet devices and are certified by the BACnet Testing Laboratories. Do you need to communicate with a packaged pumping system that utilizes modbus communications, or need to access your facility from anywhere in the world using web browser technology? Hoffman Building Technologies provides these solutions as well, often incorporating them into the same project. Click here to download a pdf showing what a complete system might look like.