Bacnet[R] for Utilities and Metering‪.‬

Energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings accounts for approximately 40% (22% residential and 18% commercial) of total energy consumption in the United States, which is more than any other energy end-use sector. By comparison, the industrial sector accounts for about 32% and transportation accounts for about 28% of primary energy consumption. (1) Utility costs and the environmental impact of this energy consumption are important to facility managers and building owners. Building automation systems in general, and BACnet systems in particular, are important tools for managing energy consumption in commercial buildings. Recently added features of BACnet can be used to better manage electrical consumption in commercial buildings. Figure 1 shows how electricity typically is consumed in commercial buildings. The largest component is HVAC systems. Cooling is the most significant contributor to electrical consumption in HVAC systems (heating is mostly done using natural gas). After HVAC, the next largest component of electrical consumption in commercial buildings is lighting. The Lighting Applications Working Group of the BACnet committee has recently submitted for public review a generic lighting-output object that meets direct architectural switching and dimming needs. (3)