How do you design a BMS for optimal daylight harvesting and dynamic shading?

1 Assess your building's needs and goals

The first step is to assess your building's needs and goals for daylight harvesting and dynamic shading. What are the main sources and orientations of natural light in your building? How do they vary throughout the day and the year? How do they affect the thermal and visual comfort of your occupants? How much energy can you save by reducing artificial lighting and cooling demand? How do you balance the trade-offs between daylighting, shading, glare, and privacy? These questions will help you define the scope, objectives, and performance criteria for your BMS.

2 Select the appropriate devices and sensors

The next step is to select the appropriate devices and sensors that can enable daylight harvesting and dynamic shading in your building. For daylight harvesting, you will need devices that can dim or switch off artificial lights according to the available natural light, such as dimmable ballasts, LED drivers, or relays. For dynamic shading, you will need devices that can adjust the position or angle of shading elements, such as blinds, louvers, or awnings, according to the sun's position and intensity, such as motors, actuators, or controllers. You will also need sensors that can measure the natural light levels, the sun's position, and the indoor temperature and occupancy, such as photocells, pyranometers, thermometers, and motion detectors.

3 Design the control logic and algorithms

The third step is to design the control logic and algorithms that can coordinate the devices and sensors for daylight harvesting and dynamic shading. You will need to define the rules and parameters that determine when and how the devices and sensors operate, such as setpoints, thresholds, schedules, priorities, and feedback loops. You will also need to consider the interactions and conflicts between the devices and sensors, such as how to avoid over-dimming or over-shading, how to account for different zones and preferences, and how to handle errors and failures. You can use various methods and tools to design and test your control logic and algorithms, such as flowcharts, pseudocode, simulation software, or prototyping kits.

4 Integrate the devices and sensors with the BMS

The fourth step is to integrate the devices and sensors with the BMS. You will need to ensure that the devices and sensors can communicate with the BMS and vice versa, using compatible protocols, standards, and interfaces. You will also need to configure the BMS to recognize, monitor, and control the devices and sensors, using appropriate software, hardware, and wiring. You will also need to provide user interfaces and feedback mechanisms that can allow the occupants and operators to interact with the BMS and the devices and sensors, such as dashboards, displays, switches, or apps.

5 Evaluate and optimize the system performance

The final step is to evaluate and optimize the system performance. You will need to collect and analyze data from the BMS and the devices and sensors, such as energy consumption, light levels, shading positions, temperature, and occupancy. You will also need to solicit feedback from the occupants and operators, such as satisfaction, comfort, productivity, and usability. You will then need to compare the actual performance with the expected performance, and identify any gaps, issues, or opportunities for improvement. You will then need to adjust the devices, sensors, or BMS settings accordingly, and repeat the evaluation and optimization process until you achieve your desired outcomes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?