One often overlooked operational need of the owner is the long-term maintainability and security of the building automation system. In order to lay the foundation for sustainable operation, the controls design should include specification of architecture, point naming, IT infrastructure, communication protocols, alarming, trending, and more Other activities may need to be brought forward in the commissioning process, such as requiring a full point naming list to verify the proper deployment of a naming convention as to not delay the project during acceptance phase (or more likely, forcing the owner to accept a substandard installation!). Functional testing typically includes all scenarios addressed in the designer’s sequence of operation, including variability in weather, occupancy, activation of fire alarm, and emergency power. In this deeper approach, testing can be expanded to verify these IT, architecture, and implementation methods are achieving the desired results, such as confirming stable operation when network communication is lost. The presentation will include a checklist of verifications and test methods to provide documented confirmation these operational needs will be met, with real-life examples of the deleterious impact to building operations when these elements go unchecked.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify IT, cyber security, and controls architecture requirements that should be included in the OPR.
2. Describe how to include the maintainability of a control system in all commissioning process phases.
3. Give examples of controls architecture and security flaws that can cause systems to not meet the owner’s operational needs after 6-12 months of successful standard acceptance testing.
4. Implement functional testing that includes resiliency and performance of building automation control networks.