Services for engineering firms and consultancies: controls and BMS
A BMS integrator working for engineering firms provides what the controls design needs but rarely has time to detail: a points list per item of equipment, control sequences, measurable bill items and an open technical specification. At ACIPro we work with engineering firms and consultancies at design, tender and construction stage, with any brand and in confidence.
Reply within 24 working hours · Across Extremadura and neighbouring provinces in Spain
What a BMS integrator brings to the design stage
In many building services designs, the controls are dealt with through a schematic and a lump-sum item: "centralised building management system". Then, on site, nobody knows how many points there are, what each valve does or who integrates the chiller. The result is an installation that works, but is poorly controlled and costly to maintain.
As a BMS integrator for engineering firms, our role is to take the controls down to the detail before the job goes out to tender. We have spent more than 20 years installing, programming and maintaining control systems, and we know what goes wrong on site and what the maintenance contractor finds missing five years later. That is the knowledge we bring to the design:
- System architecture: field, automation and management levels, controllers per panel, buses and control network.
- Protocols: which equipment is integrated via BACnet, Modbus, KNX or LonWorks and which is hard-wired with physical signals. We summarise this in BACnet, Modbus and KNX.
- Target BACS class under UNE-EN ISO 52120-1, with the functions that must be included to achieve it.
- Cybersecurity by design: a separate control network, encrypted remote access and individual users, following the principles of the ISA/IEC 62443 series (more detail in cybersecurity in BMS).
BMS points list per item of equipment
The BMS points list is the document that does most to prevent disputes on site. For each item of equipment (air handling unit, chiller, boiler, fan coil unit, heat recovery unit, pumping set or electrical panel) we specify:
- Digital and analogue inputs and outputs, with the signal type.
- Points integrated via communications, with the protocol and, if needed, the gateway.
- Alarms, setpoints, schedules and trends that the supervisory system must record.
- A standardised name for each point, following our naming database (CamelCase) and Project Haystack tagging.
Once the points list is fixed, the count of controllers, I/O modules and licences follows automatically, and every bidder prices the same thing. Standardised naming may seem like a detail, but it is what allows the supervisory system, energy reports and automated fault detection to work without rewriting anything.
We will reply within 24 working hours with an initial assessment.
Control sequences: what each item of equipment has to do
Control sequences describe, in plain language, how each item of equipment behaves: start-up and shutdown, interlocks, temperature and flow control, seasonal changeover, free cooling, pump rotation, protections and the response to sensor or communication failures.
As a good-practice reference we use ASHRAE Guideline 36, which publishes high-performance sequences for HVAC systems. We do not copy it word for word, because it is written for the North American market, but we adopt its method: complete, verifiable sequences with starting values for every setting. To that we add what we see on site in Extremadura, from staggered start-up of air handling units to buffer tank setpoints.
A well-written sequence does three jobs: it lets the installer programme the system, the site supervision team check it and the maintenance contractor understand why the installation does what it does.
For each item of equipment, the sequences we deliver include the operating modes (occupied, unoccupied, pre-heat, maintenance), the initial setpoints and their adjustment limits, the start-up and shutdown order, the response to each alarm and what should happen if a sensor or communication with the supervisory system is lost. We also state which trends must be logged so that it can be checked afterwards, with data, that the sequence does what it says. That last part is what allows acceptance to be signed off on objective criteria rather than impressions.
BMS bills of quantities and technical specifications without vendor lock-in
We prepare the controls items for bills of quantities and cost estimates with full descriptions: controllers, modules, sensors, actuators, valves, control panels, bus cabling, integrations, programming, graphics, commissioning, training and documentation. That way, the BMS bill of quantities is no longer a single lump-sum item that is hard to compare.
We write the technical specification to be neutral and open. We ask for functions, open protocols and documentation, not a particular brand:
- Communication via open protocols (BACnet, Modbus, KNX) and handover of the points database.
- Handover of the controller programs, licences and passwords to the owner.
- The option for another integrator to maintain or extend the system in the future.
- Minimum required BACS class and energy metering and logging functions.
A specification like this protects the owner and makes the tender easier to compare. We explain this in more detail in open BMS integration.
Tell us about your building and what concerns you. We'll tell you where to start.
Tender support: technical review of bids
When the bids come in, comparing control systems from different manufacturers is not straightforward: the names, the modules and what goes into each item all differ. We review the technical bids against the points list and the specification, and flag up:
- Points or integrations that are missing or have been reduced.
- Supervisory licences that are insufficient for the planned number of points.
- Equipment that does not communicate over the required protocol.
- Programming, graphics or training items that have not been properly sized.
The result is a point-by-point technical report that the engineering firm incorporates into its own assessment and signs if it so decides.
During construction: point-to-point testing and as-built documentation
During the construction stage we support the site supervision team or the owner in checking that what has been installed matches the design:
- Commissioning protocols for each item of equipment, with checks for every sequence.
- Point-to-point testing: every signal is verified from the field to the supervisory system, with its name and scaling.
- Functional testing of interlocks, alarms, schedules and mode changes.
- As-built documentation: panel schematics, final points list, network architecture, program backups and operating manual.
If the project includes control panels, we build and test them in our workshop to REBT and UNE-EN 61439, with schematics and documentation. We also audit existing systems when the engineering firm needs to know what can be reused in a refurbishment or a migration of a legacy system.
Call us or message us on WhatsApp on +34 634 456 471 and we'll go through it with you.
Any brand, in confidence
We are an official Honeywell partner and work with Niagara 4, but we also have technicians certified by Schneider Electric in EcoStruxure Building Operation, we integrate Siemens Desigo with ABT Site and we hold Sauter and Loxone certifications. That lets us advise without pushing a brand: the design defines the functions and each manufacturer can meet them.
We treat the information on every project as confidential and sign non-disclosure agreements whenever the engineering firm or the owner requests it. The proposals, drawings and bills of quantities sent to us are used for nothing other than the commission.
We work from Cáceres across Extremadura and neighbouring provinces, and much of the desk work is done remotely. If you have a project under way, tell us what stage it is at and which part of the controls you want to strengthen.
Frequently asked questions
What is a BMS points list?
It is the table that lists, for each item of equipment in the installation, every signal handled by the control system: physical inputs and outputs, points integrated via communications, alarms, setpoints and trends. It is used to size controllers and licences, to make all bids comparable and to check on site that nothing is missing.
Do you produce the complete controls design or just support the engineering firm?
We adapt to the brief. We can prepare just the points list and sequences, also write the bill of quantities items and the specification, review the bids or support the construction stage through to final testing. The engineering firm retains responsibility for the design and decides which parts to delegate to us.
Does the specification you write favour Honeywell or Niagara?
No. We write the specification in terms of functions, open protocols and required documentation, without naming brands. If a specific reference were ever essential, it is accompanied by the words "or equivalent". We work with Honeywell, Schneider, Siemens, Sauter and Loxone, so it is not in our interest to lock the project into one manufacturer.
What is ASHRAE Guideline 36 and do you apply it as it stands?
It is an ASHRAE guideline containing high-performance control sequences for HVAC systems. We use it as a reference for method and good practice, but adapt each sequence to the equipment, the climate and how the building is used. We do not impose it on the design or cite it as a mandatory standard.
How is a project's BACS class defined?
UNE-EN ISO 52120-1 classifies building automation and control systems into classes A to D according to the functions they include. We agree the target class with the engineering firm and translate it into specific functions in the points list and the specification. Class B is also the benchmark for applying for CAE (Spanish Energy Savings Certificates) under the TER050 measure sheet.
What is checked during point-to-point testing?
That every signal on the list arrives correctly from the field to the supervisory system: that the sensor reads within its range, that the valve opens when commanded, that the alarm is triggered and that the point has the correct name. This is recorded in a signed test record that forms part of the as-built documentation.
Do you sign non-disclosure agreements?
Yes. Project documentation we receive is treated as confidential and we sign non-disclosure agreements whenever the engineering firm or the owner requests it. We do not use drawings, bills of quantities or data from one commission for any purpose other than the contracted work.
Can you audit the existing control system before a refurbishment?
Yes. We review controllers, communications, the supervisory system and the condition of sensors and actuators, and deliver a report setting out what can be reused, what should be replaced and the migration options. It gives the engineering firm a basis for designing the refurbishment without surprises on site.
Call us or message us on WhatsApp on +34 634 456 471 and we'll go through it with you.
You may also be interested in
- Open BMS integration, with no vendor lock-in
- Building management: what it is, what it includes and how to procure it
- BACS requirements for buildings: what the regulations require and how to comply
- Building services control for local councils and public bodies
References and manufacturers
Do you have a control system that nobody knows how to maintain?
We review your installation and tell you what can be reused, what should be replaced and how much you could save.