What is building system integration?

Building system integration refers to the process of communicating to the different systems (E.g. HVAC, lighting, security...) and protocols and usually pulling that data into a common platform or database. Once this data is normalized in a single database, then other applications like analytics applications and graphic UI applications can be leveraged to work across all systems in the building.

What are the advantages of integrating the automation systems in my building?

Some of the advantages to integrating a building's systems are:

• Different systems can share sensors. For example, the motion sensors in the security system could also be used to turn the lights on and adjust the heating system when occupancy is detected.
• If you have multiple vendor's control systems in your building each having their own front end, you could integrate them to a common platform so you can manage all systems from a single UI.
• Once integrated, you can apply analytics across all systems.

My control system already has alarms. Why do I need analytics?

DDC alarms typically alert you that a condition is outside a certain threshold. An example might be when a space temp sensor is out of range. This gives you little indication of what is really wrong. Alarms also typically run in real time versus historical data. Analytics rules can be created to be much more powerful and to run against historical data so you can look back in time to see when a particular condition was happening.

I have an existing building with a DDC control system. What is involved in setting up SkySpark to do analytics?

Usually SkySpark can be fully configured without us having to visit the site. The first thing we need to do is verify the control system has some way of communicating to it. Many modern systems are BACnet/IP which is among the easiest to integrate to. Some older control systems can be more challenging and may require gateways to be added. Usually we get a good idea of this from the controls drawings or pictures of the panels. On occasion, we need to create custom connectors to communicate to your system. Once it is determined how to communicate, we then proceed to build and tag the SkySpark database that will sync data from the control system. The next step is to create the required analytics rules and create any required visualizations. This may sound like a lot of work, but we have many years of experience and can do this quite efficiently.

Our company is very security conscious and wish to have all data stored on our network and servers. Is that possible?

Yes. Both SkySpark and FINstack are very flexible on where they can be installed and data stored. Many clients want all the data to remain in their corporate network. In this case, we usually install the software on a virtual machine controlled by the client. We would need a VPN connection to access the VM to configure it. SkySpark and FINstack can also be installed in cloud solutions like Assure or AWS. The cloud solution usually comes with the challenge of communicating through the firewall. In this case, we sometimes use data collectors on the network to push data to SkySpark in the cloud.

I am interested in setting up SkySpark and/or FINstack in my building(s). How long will it take, and how much is it going to cost?

This depends on a few factors such as the number of points required, the number of equipment and the quality of the point naming convention in the DDC control system. If the naming convention is poor, it can add to the level of effort in building out the SkySpark database. If all required information is available and the integration is straight forward, we can typically have SkySpark all set up and configured within 6 to 8 weeks on an average commercial building. This is only a rough guide and is very dependant on the size and scope of the project. The best idea would be to reach out to us, and we can work with you to come up with a free estimate.