WHY BACnet

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WHY BACnet?
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Current Situation

• Building owners are frustrated by the lack of a
  building automation system that is standardized
  and can be easily expanded
• Buyers feel locked in by vendors and their
  proprietary communications protocols
• These proprietary protocols often lead to higher
  installed costs because of the need for so many
  translation devices
• Customers are looking for a single source for all
  their HVAC needs

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What is BACnet?

• BACnet is simply a pre-defined set of rules that
  apply to a computer's hardware and software. No
  manufacturer owns any part of BACnet.
• BACnet is an acronym for Building Automation and
  Controls network." development by an independent
  council of engineers under the auspices of the
  American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
  Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
• BACnet allows interoperable systems to be
  developed. It is an ASHRAE standard, an American
  national standard, a European pre-standard, and a
  potential global standard.
• The essence of BACnet is contained in a technical
  specification that is available either as a paper
  copy or on a CD. It is technology independent.
• The protocol is used in the following industries,
  HVAC, Power, Security and Access Control,
  Vertical Transport, Lighting, Fire and Life
  Safety
• BACnet is not a thing you can buy. BACnet is
  literally a book that defines methods which a
  manufacturer can use, if it chooses to make
  systems which can be interoperable with other
  BACnet systems in various ways.

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Why BACnet?

• BACnet 's purpose is to standardize communication
  between building automation devices from
  different manufacturers, allowing data to be
  shared and equipment to interoperate. A
  consortium of building managers, system users and
  manufacturers developed the standard to give
  facilities more choices, uniformity and
  flexibility.
• BACnet does not prescribe the operating platform
  or how much of the standard must be incorporated,
  this freedom makes it well suited to meet Yorks
  evolving needs
• Embracing one technology simplifies field /
  factory implementation, and supports lowest
  installed cost goals
• Its implementation is extensible, and can be
  used to address various complexity levels within
  HVAC systems

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Market position
Proprietary68
TCP/IP1
LonWorks6
Other2
BACnet23
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BACS Protocol Use in North America
This graph does not take into account YORK
converting to BACnet
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A recent Internet poll asked the following
question..
What communications protocol do you most commonly
use on building automation jobs?
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BACnet Installations
Projects
27,715 Multi-Vendor Projects
6,062 Number of Buildings
32,539 Connected Points 57,699,925
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BACnet Offers.
Practical interoperability between multiple
vendors Scalability between cost, performance and
size Highest performance Lowest cost Unrestricted
growth