By using a BAS, a building owner can manage the amount of outdoor air brought into a space depending on the number of people in the building, rather than heating or cooling an excess amount of air. At the Brengel Center, a roof-mounted weather station helps improve the accuracy of energy applications by forecasting system load. Integrating Green When building green, the sum is larger than the individual parts only when everything is integrated into a unified system. The key to successful integration is gathering the right decision-makers together at the earliest stages of the project. Integrating all systems means drawing upon every aspect of the building to realize efficiencies, cost savings and continuous returns throughout the entire life of the facility.
Lighting is one example.
Indirect lighting can control glare, increase comfort and, accounting for about 10 percent of the buildings potential energy use, conserve energy. The Brengel Center uses large amounts of natural light, primarily by making sure that daylight from perimeter windows can be shared by everyone. To do that, built spaces are placed internally or against walls without windows. When lighting monitors are integrated into the BAS, perimeter light fixtures can be dimmed or brightened in response to the amount of natural light present. Very few companies, whether privately or publicly held, are in a position to make green design choices that undercut the bottom line.