International Society of Automation (ISA)

Building Automation Systems Division (BASDIV)

www.isa.org www.isa.org/basdiv

Newsletter
June 2022
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Director Message
2. About ISA
3. Advances in Building
Automation System and
Possible Career Tracks
4. Articles on Building
Automation from ISA
5. Announcements
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From the Director, BASDIV, ISA – Rathan Bala. Director
Rathan Bala
Greetings to you all. Very happy to connect with you all again. Rsbizcom@gmail.com
We have been making steady progress and working on plans to add more
professional value to our members.
Editor
We will continue to implement some of the prioritized initiatives with a focus on Dr.Swati Madhe
 Industry Reach & Awareness swati.madhe@cumminscollege.in
 Membership Development & Awareness
 Technical Education & Awareness
 Leadership & Business Skill Development
The importance of Building Automation is being recognized in many global regions and efforts initiated to consolidate to
derive the benefits from this technology. Broadly the benefits are to increase occupants’ comfort, security, decrease energy
consumption and reduce the cost of maintenance.

We have initaited to work closely with ISA Banaglore,India Chapter and Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF), Bangalore to
support to eliminate embodied carbon in buildings. Building Automation Systems is critical to achieve the objectives of CLF.
We are happy to communicate we are working on Action Plan on this.
We are willing to work with other chapters of CLF too.

I invite the recipients of this newsletter to support us to bring all the professionals engaged in Building Automation Systems
under BASDIV, the ISA umbrella, and strengthen our professional networking. We require more volunteers in various
leadership roles and technology contributors to support our journey.

I request all those willing to be part of this journey to email to isa.basdiv@gmail.com with your details and the domain you
want to contribute. ISA connect, an exclusive network for ISA members is being used extensively by members. Our Program
Chair is woorking on many programs on BAS and your active support is essenstial to add professional value to our members.

Join ISA and BASDIV for professional networking.

www.isa.org www.isa.org/basdiv
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 Advances in Building Automation System and Possible Career Tracks
John Kingsley.S
An Electronics and Instrumentation engineer with
15 years of experience in multiple Industry Sectors ranging
from Steel, Marine, Oil & Gas,
Petrochemical, Energy and Consulting. Currently working
in Hitachi Energy as a Senior Cybersecurity
Engineer.
https://in.linkedin.com/in/sjkingsley
They have been called by many names such as
Building Management Systems (BMS) or Building
Automation System (BAS) or also Building
Automation & Control Systems (BACS) but what is
striking is that they are at a pivotal moment. With
current technologies that are cost effective and
pertinent focus on sustainability and Eco
friendliness, they are poised for wider
implementation and not limited to commercial,
industrial needs but also retail industry such as
housing. For the success of Smart Cities, they play
an important and vital role along with IOT and
Industry 4.0.
In this article we are mainly going to focus on the
advancements in current BAS, the career
opportunities available and skills needed.
A brief History
Automation of processes is a wide area of
application, just as we can see automation in
Industrial control systems, power systems,
manufacturing similarly Buildings need automation
as well. From the time when the Thermostat was
invented in 1883 by Warren Johnson (Quick Trivia –
Also the founder of Johnson Controls which exists to
this very day), we have come a long way. Some
would say the origins of modern-day automation to
Cornelius Drebbel, a Dutch inventor from the 1600s
who used an incubator thermostat to keep eggs warm
in order to help them hatch into baby chicks.
The earliest building control systems were mainly
pneumatic and electric but they controlled only
specific aspects such as heating and cooling. Then
analog electronic controllers started appearing
around the 1980s with the advent of Integrated
circuits and Microcontroller in the 1960’s to 70’s.
These were clearly better in terms of response rates,
easier to manage and more accurate in controlling.
Soon Digital Controllers started appearing in the
market. This was the time when the most of systems
were black boxes and had their own proprietary
communication protocols. In the late 1990’s,
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-
conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) developed the
BACnet communication protocol that eventually
became the industry open standard. With the
introduction and development of BACnet, it became
possible for building automation systems to
continually evolve and grow to a point where we are
now today. Another popular open standard is KNX,
which originated from the European standards. Other
popular and common protocols are LON and
MODBUS.
There is a still a long way to go as there are numerous
proprietary protocols at the controller level. But the
interoperability at the application level has
considerably improved. There are many terms such
as BMS, BAS or BACS and are interchangeably used
but there is no major difference in them. Today’s
buildings are very complex in their requirements
from design to commissioning to operation mainly
driven by people’s needs and comfortability. But
also playing part in Safety, Sustainability and
Conversation.
The need for technology in the building
Originally the early building systems were mainly
controlling the Heating, Ventilation and Cooling
along with power system needed. With the advent of
technology, industrial networking and
communication protocols, various other disparate
systems such as Fire Alarms, Lighting, Security,
Telecom, Plumbing and Sewerage were also
integrated in the modern control systems.
With such systems, there is a need for various types
of sensors and actuators serving different
applications. For example, analog inputs such as
temperature, humidity, photocells for light. And
digital inputs such as proximity, load as in weight,
and voltage free relay contacts. Analog outputs are
speed, position or a VFD drive. Digital outputs are
generally used to open and close relays/switches for
further action, such as starting a blower or opening a
valve.
Building of today are built with standards and codes
such ASHRAE and National Building Code of India
2016 (NBC 2016) from Bureau of Indian Standards
to name a few. With advances in technology and
computing performance, the BAS can now do a host
of other functions than just control temperature. But
also ensure the building is optimally pressurized,
ensure no leakages of energy, regulate humidity,
control lighting, monitor performance, identify
device failures, provide access control, control
multiple devices and provide alarms and
notifications in the event of failure. The BAS of
today are more intelligent and provide benefits more
than just reduction in maintenance costs and reduced
energy consumption.
The internet of things or IoT have made it easy for
the buildings to be smart, energy efficient, secure and
ensure comfortability as there is more and more
standardization of products. The BAS as a
technology is evolving and its very important for
engineers to understand the basic capabilities and
functions of a BAS, and become technically
proficient and leverage data analytics into designs
and think how buildings can truly make cities smart
and exploit various possibilities.
Todays Smart Building no doubt have intelligent
BAS, which successfully integrates various sensors,
IoT and multiple systems providing. And are truly a
modern BAS providing real time information to
make decisions regarding security and facility
management. As there is a lot of data generated,
these data sets can be analyzed to take predictive and
preventive actions. The current trend is
implementation of Artificial Intelligence and
Machine Learning Models to identify faults, manage
alarms, and make the decision making truly smart
and reduce Human intervention to a minimum. The
ultimate end goal here is to ensure the occupants
have a delightfull experience and ensure the facility
owners are able to maximize on their assets with
reduced expenditures and downtime.
Roles & Responsibilities
Generally, engineers involved in BAS work with
Architects, Facility owners, contractors, OEM’s,
Vendors other engineers. Building Automation
engineers design, configure and integrate BAS with
other systems to meet project requirements and see-
through project from design to installation to
commissioning and operations. The projects can
range from Industrial Buildings, Commercial
Infrastructure, Residential projects and Hospitals.
Career Track for engineers can be below functions
but not limited to this alone, depending upon
company needs and requirements, the designations
may vary.
Project Engineer – Project management, planning for
implementation, technical and commercial
coordination internally and externally. Act as a
company representative to clients.
Sales Engineer – Involve in Marketing, Sales
activities, Technical Demo, Preparation of Tender
and Technical Proposal, provide inputs to product
development and understand client requirements
Site Engineer – In charge of site operations and
management for installation, wiring, quality checks,
mechanical completion, store management, interface
with third party vendors/contractors
Design Engineer – Material and Product selection,
Engineering Drawings, Documentations for client
projects. Configuration of HMI/SCADA, PLC
Programming, Telecom, Audio/Visual, HVAC
sizing, lighting, Power requirements, Low voltage
electrical and other smart features.
Commissioning Engineer – Ensure checks and
validate installation prior to starting operations of the
building automation systems and related instruments
and equipment for the first time.
Simulation Engineer – R&D for products,
Computational Fluid dynamic simulation for
products
Operation/Maintenance Engineer – Operation of
Building Automation Systems and ensure they are in
working condition, maintenance and troubleshooting
of equipment’s, instruments, HMI, SCADA, PLC
and nowadays IOT devices
 When we say Building Automation /Management
Systems, its not only relevant for Electrical,
Instrumentation or Control Engineers but also for
Mechanical, Chemical, IT, Electronic Engineers as
well. There is lot of cross functional requirements
and specializations. Todays equipments combine
both mechanical/electrical and electronics. Gone are
the days when only mechanical engineers were
needed for maintenance of Boilers or HVAC, as they
are integrated with electronics and control systems
making it a need for understanding the nuances of
working and operation in multiple areas.
For example, HVAC is more related to Mechanical,
Lighting and Power systems for Electrical, Control
systems, HMI/SCADA, PLC are related to
Instrumentation/Electronics, Networking and
communication are related to IT. So the scope is
there for multiple disciplines as this is truly multi-
disciplinary effort.
The Potential
The Building Automation system market is projected
to reach USD 148 billion by 2027 from USD 86.8
billion in 2022. And it is expected to grow at a
compounded annual growth rate of 11.4% from 2022
to 2027. The growth is mainly attributed to the
_______________________________________________________________________________
increasing number of commercial and residential
infrastructure focusing on sustainable and smart
buildings, eco-friendly and increased energy
efficiency. Especially in reduction of the energy
consumption and water usage, which in turn will
significantly reduce the overall energy and water
costs for the building. And also improving the life of
the building by periodic and advance maintenance
with the help of BACS which in turn maximizes the
value of the assets and provides cost savings
indirectly.
In next article we will see in more detail about the
skills needed, the type of opportunities available in
the market and high level guidance on the type of
companies where one can seek them.
References:-
1) https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Marke
t-Reports/building-automation-control-
systems-market-
408.html#:~:text=%5B305%20Pages%20Re
port%5D%20The%20building,monitoring%
20systems%20installed%20in%20buildings.
 ISA Articles related to Building Automation

1. Scan to BIM explained

Reference: https://blog.isa.org/
https://blog.isa.org/scan-to-bim-explained
Steve Salmon

The past decade has seen building information value of coordinating design and construction
modeling (BIM) grow in the architecture, sequences (the phrase virtual design and construction
engineering, construction, and operation (AECO) [VDC] is sometimes used in this context). And some
markets in many countries. However, the pace of clients—major public sector clients in the UK and
adoption has varied from country to country, and, other countries, for example—have mandated BIM
within countries, BIM adoption has also been as a key step towards accurate as-built information
higher in some disciplines or market sectors than about new assets.
others.For example, BIM was initially seen as
something mainly used by architects and engineers
for design-related processes. However, over time,
contractors and subcontractors also began to see the
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2. The First Cybersecurity Standard for Commercial Real Estate

Building Control Systems
Reference: https://issuu.com/bomageorgia/docs/insight_issue_2_w-links/s/15786060
Fred Gordy

Building control systems (i.e., operational
technology or OT) have cybersecurity requirements
that cannot be met using the standards available for
IT. These IT standards were designed to protect data
and data systems. The National Institute of Standards
& Technology (NIST) is a preeminent standard for
companies developing IT policies and processes.
However, even NIST acknowledged the importance
of identifying risk in OT devices. Its 2019
publication states that OT/IoT devices identify three
high-level considerations that may affect the
management of cybersecurity and privacy risks for
IoT devices as compared to conventional IT devices:
1. Many IoT devices interact with the physical world
in ways conventional IT devices usually do not.
2. Many IoT devices cannot be accessed, managed,
or monitored in the same ways conventional IT
devices can.
3. The availability, efficiency, and effectiveness of
cybersecurity and privacy capabilities are often
different for IoT devices than conventional IT
devices. Another noted authority, Gartner, also
acknowledged that cybersecurity strategies for
OT/IoT require tools, methodologies, and guidelines
that are not available in the IT realm.

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 3) An HVAC company in search of modern machine-control
advantages finds an Arduino-compatible open PLC controller is
the solution.
Reference: https://blog.isa.org/
https://blog.isa.org/scan-to-bim-explained
Frank Bicknell
A multitude of microcontrollers these solutions are often expensive and inflexible. To
There are many types of dedicated microcontrollers address these and other issues, today’s users prefer
used to operate equipment, and there are also a more modern and open designs that can connect with
variety of programmable logic controllers (PLCs). a variety of other systems, are exceptionally flexible,
These all work well, but they lack the openness of and have plenty of room to grow.
today’s general-purpose controllers. When it comes
to these “open” controllers, there are many options RESOURCES
for consumer- and hobbyist-grade microcontrollers, “CPAPs RE-INVENTed into Emergency Ventilators
and some are even mildly “industrialized.” Using PLCs and HMIs”

Modern flexibility, traditional robustness “Embedded IEC 61131 is Enabling Industry 4.0
Sometimes, the best automation engineering answer & Industrial Internet of Things”
involves products and solutions that are relatively “Experts Discuss Open Process Automation Issues”
dedicated, sometimes known as “fit for purpose,” but

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 Announcements:
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1) Connect Live : The importance of Instrument Calibration

Calibration is the checking or adjusting of the accuracy of a measuring device. A comparison of measurements
is made between a known, correct measurement which is set as the standard and another measurement which is
known as the unit under test. All measuring devices should be calibrated periodically to ensure accuracy in
readings.

Test and measurement devices used in design, testing, and manufacturing help ensure that manufacturing
equipment and processes perform as specified to turn out a final product that works as designed. To verify their
accuracy, the test and measurement devices are calibrated by more accurate calibrators and reference standards
that are calibrated to the SI. In this way, we have increased assurance that measurements in manufacture and
assembly are accurate and reliable

To discuss on this ISA is hosting a Connect Live

Topic :Importance of Calibration: Connect Live with PMCD & ASD/TMD
Description :Please join the Process Measurement and Control and Aerospace/Test Measurement divisions for
a Connect Live discussion on Calibration Importance - Discussion of How Best to Ensure Traceability
throughout your Organization.

Calibration and traceability are not standard across all industries. Join PMCD as we discuss how calibration is
addressed across our industries at PMCD and get insight on how other companies address their traceability.
Please register

Meeting Registration - Zoom

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Importance of Calibration: Connect Live with
PMCD & ASD/TMD . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining
the meeting.
Please join the Process Measurement and Control and Aerospace/Test Measurement divisions
for a Connect Live discussion on Calibration Importance - Discussion of How Best to Ensure
Traceability throughout your Organization. Calibration and traceability are not standard across
all industries. Join PMCD as we discuss how calibration is addressed across our industries at
PMCD and get insight on how other companies address their traceability.
us02web.zoom.us

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 2) ISA Bangalore CLF partnership
Automation can contribute a lot to achieve the goals proposed by the COP 26 Conference working with projects
and initiatives in the areas of decarbonization, electrification, emissions reduction, process efficiency, circular
economy, etc. This is a great opportunity for the automation professionals to contribute and to demonstrate the
value of automation to their companies.
Quote by our President Carlos Mandolesi
Taking a small step towards this ISA Bangalore signed an MOU with the CLF Bangalore a hub of the Carbon
Leadership Forum (CLF Bengaluru | Carbon Leadership Forum) on 14 May 2022. This partnership will be also
supported by the ISA Building Automation Division.

Speaker : Dr Kanwal
Founding Member: Carbon Leadership Forum – Bengaluru Hub in Association with CLF University of
Washington.
As a building physicist and sustainability consultant in Net Zero Buildings & Infrastructure, working as a resource
person to Architects, Consultants, & Contractors to reduce carbon footprint, facilitate the green rating (GRIHA,
LEED, IGBC, ECBC, RESET) to streamline energy baseline & forecasting, renewable energy assessment, energy
efficiency strategy, IAQ, water and waste management by maintaining a current understanding of the trends &
influences of sustainable design, construction, new materials & technology available locally and globally

CLF
The Carbon Leadership Forum mission is to eliminate embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure by
inspiring innovation through collective action to create a just and thriving future. We pioneer research, create
resources, foster cross-collaboration, and incubate member-led initiatives to bring embodied carbon emissions of
buildings down to zero.
We are architects, engineers, contractors, material suppliers, building owners and policymakers who care about
the future and are taking bold steps to decarbonize the built environment, with a keen focus on eliminating
embodied carbon from buildings and infrastructure.

Dr Jayesh Barve
Title: Global “Net-Zero-Carbon by 2050” goals inspiring ISA & CLF partnership @ Bangalore
Abstract: After experiencing the devastating impacts and sufferrigs of global warming, the nations across the
world have lately became responsible and committed through the 2015 Paris Climate Accord the decisive plans
and commitments to work together to reduce green-house gas emissions systematically in a stepwise manner
targeting "net-zero-carbon-emission" by 2050/onwards and restrict global-warming to <2 degC.

Since, the Buildings Systems (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, etc.) collectively constitute a significant
~40% of total carbon emissions in leading countries in America & Europe. This is primarily due to buildings
constituting a significant share amongst various energy consumer systems. Hence, to meet the "zero-carbon by
2050" goals, it is essential to reduce carbon-emissions from buildings -- not only via minimizing the energy
consumption alone during buildings' long operational life, but rather across the buildings' life-time, i.e. minimize
emissions/energy also during pre-construction sourcing-logistics, during construction, & end-of-life building-
disposal phases as well.

ISA, especially ISA Building Automation Division, is a professional society, group of professionals focused
towards automation and digital transformation technologies used in/for buildings & infrastructures. It covers the
areas like building energy (thermal & electrical) optimization (within operational constraints like occupants’
comfort); recent trends towards integration of distributed green, renewable energy sources forming the
building/campus/community scale electrical nano/micro/mini-grids around the building systems; in addition to
conventional building automation subsystems topics like access-control, lighting, etc. Building automation,
controls and optimization solutions reduce the overall energy consumption across the long operational life-time
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of the building systems. Thereby, ISA society & members fraternity has been and will play a significant role
towards meeting net-zero-carbon goals via technical education, R&D, innovations, deployments, and pilot
interventions to grow concepts and technologies for net-zero energy via green, carbon-
neutral buildings. Similarly, CLF is a global organization playing a significant role towards the same goals, but
through complimentary technology areas like construction-materials & methods, building architectures &
designs, building end-of-life disposals strategy etc.

Hence, it seems natural and complimentary for ISA (esp ISA-BASDIV) and CLF to partner and join hands to
enable, strengthen efforts to meet noble common goals like "net-zero-carbon by 2050". The partnership can be
through collective efforts via relevant education & training, development, innovation, interventions in various
complimentary, interdisciplinary technologies. The MOU between ISA Bangalore and CLF-Bangalore teams is
the 1st step towards this.

Signing the MOU

Dr. Kanwal on behalf of CLF and
Mr. Prakash, President ISA Bangalore
Section

Team ISA
Mr Prakash
Mr Ram Kerur
Mr Rajshekhar Uchil
Dr Jayesh Barve
Dr Sunil Shah
T R Ravishankar
Team CLF
Dr Kanwal
Abhinav Sujit

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Learn more about joining BASDIV at www.isa.org/basdiv or
call +1 919-549-8411.
Join ISA now at www.isa.org/joinISA or call +1 919-549-8411 and
discover the other incredible career-enhancing benefits that await you!
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