- NJ Energy Code: NJ adopted a new Energy Code for commercial and residential buildings in 2015 (effective 3/16 for enforcement). The Code applies to new construction and renovated spaces. The Code is based on international Energy Code (IECC) and ASHRAE 90.1-13. Evaluation for adoption of proposed 2018 Energy Code is underway.
- NJ Public Schools Contract Law: The New Jersey Statute 18A:18A defines the regulations that govern all contracts for work made between the school District and an outside entity.
- Heating Degree Days: Heating Degree Days for any day are calculated as 65 - Average Outside Temperature. NJ has an average of 4560 HTGDD per year. Building energy modeling for electric and heating fuel use uses HTGDD to calculate the extra energy required once the plant is operating to meet loads dependent on ambient temperature.
- One Million BTUs: A common unit of energy not associated to a particular source. An MMBTU is equivalent to 10 Therms of gas or 7.2 gallons of #2 fuel or or 293 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
- Therm: Gas consumption is billed per Therm (100,000 BUTs) of energy but metered in hundreds of cubic feet (CCF). The energy in once cubic foot is about 1.04 therms.
- KW-Demand: Peak electricity demand is metered and billed. Large use accounts will be billed different rates at high-demand periods. KW demand can be likened to a top speed of a car journey, and Kilowatt-hours to the distance traveled.
- Kilowatt-Hour: The billed electrical usage unit. One KWH is about the energy required to light on classroom for one hour.
- Energy: For a building, energy is a commodity where consumption is measured by the utility company and invoiced. Each type of commodity is priced and billed separately. The most common types of energy commodities are electricity, natural gas, oil, water.
- Demand Control Ventilation: Demand Control Ventilation provides for a dynamic adjustment to the minimum amount of fresh air introduced to an interior space. Building codes (AHSRAE 62.1) specifies the amount of fresh air required based on the number of occupants. Systems are then designed to cover maximum occupancy. DCV makes use of occupancy sensors or CO2 levels to evaluate actual occupancy and reduce outside air intake proportionally. This is and Energy Code requirement for high density occupancy (HDO) areas such as gyms and auditoriums that are rarely at full occupancy during a school day.
- Economize Action: The use of outside air to provide cooling when outside air temperature is below 67, sometimes called free-cooling, is a standard HVAC strategy that was improved with the use of automation control-logic and environmental sensors.
- Variable Frequency Drive: A type of motor control that varies the frequency and voltage to the electric motor to adjust the motor speed. Energy Code specifies the type and size of equipment that is required to make use of the VFD control device for improved energy efficiency.
- Condensing Boilers: Condensing boilers are high efficiency boilers.
- Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning: Acronym frequently used to refer to a class of building equipment that provides services for conditioning interior space. All HVAC equipment consume some type of energy.
- Fault Detection & Diagnosis: Use of analytics take system alarms to the next level of determining what is causing an out-of-range condition and recommending corrective actions. Could be considered the AI of the BAS industry. Makes use of IOT.
- BACnet: Network communication protocol standard created by ASHRAE in 19…. The LONworks and MODbus protocol standards are also in use for the BAS industry, but currently BACnet is the primary accepted standard.
- Integrated Controls: Integration is configuring communications between controllers that either differ by brand and/or differ by level of control. Integration may be enabled via data communications and protocol gateways or by adding a layer of direct control devices.
- Direct Digital Control: Equipment controlled by a BAS is DDC if the individual components of the equipment are directly driven by the control-logic. Components such as valves, dampers, and fans are wired directly to the BAS controller card.
- BAS I/O Point: A physical point used for controlling equipment is classified as an Input or Output Point. Inputs Point examples are temperature sensors, pressure sensors, status values and alarm indicators. Output Point examples are component enable/disable controls, positional commands, and electrical signals.
- BAS Field Controller: Field controllers are wired to equipment and may or may not have internal control logic. FC that do have control-logic features may be open for user defined logic, or they can be pre-loaded with logic that operates a specific piece of equipment. FC that are pre-loaded or have canned programs are called Application Specific Controllers (ASC).
- BAS Global Controller: The Global Controller in a BAS is the master in a master/slave communication arrangement. Typically it handles all scheduling and data distribution through-out the BAS network. Each GC can manage a limited number of networked field controllers; therefore in large buildings, there will be more than on GC, but an elementary school typically needs just one.
- Smart Building: A smart building is one with installed automation devices or controllers that are configure to operate systems in the building independently or with human interface/interaction. Most common systems with automation controls are HVAC, lighting, security/access. In the home, more personalized systems are joining automation control such as media systems and kitchen appliances.
- Building Automation System: Acronym: BAS Category: BAS Definition: BAS or BMS (building management system) is defined as a network of digital controls with specialized control-logic that automates operations of the building's heating, ventilation and cooling equipment. Often fire, access/security, and lighting systems are integrated into the BAS.