Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being talked about just about everywhere. AI is here—and here to stay. But because it has yet to reach anywhere near its full potential, it will continue to evolve.

While AI in building automation is a hot topic that seems future-forward and on-trend, the truth is, engineers and system integrators aren’t ready to jump off the artificial intelligence cliff and build their wings on the way down.

So, let’s talk about some equally relevant, yet more realistic things going on with building automation—things that may be affecting you right here, right now in real time. For simplicity, we’ll call them “trends” in this post, though it’s likely that many of you have or soon will adopt them as best practices. Either way, no matter what they’re called, these are the building automation trends that are worth a closer look.

Key takeaways

• Energy monitoring and reduction is driving transformation in building automation.
• Automation is key in helping organizations achieve their ESG goals.
• Cloud-based systems offer more flexible management of BAS.
• Secure, integrated systems are non-negotiable.

What’s new in building automation?

A lot has changed with building automation in recent years, namely enablement technologies. While it took a little longer for building automation systems (BAS) to catch up to the consumer side of smart technologies, there’s no shortage now. Countless new technologies are now available, including our own Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Cloud-based offering: MSA Grid FieldServer Manager.

Fueled by the Internet of Things (IoT), building automation has exploded and continues to undergo unprecedented growth. In fact, according to Fortune Business Insights, the global building automation systems market is expected to grow to more than $130 billion by 2030. That’s up from $77 billion just last year (2023).

The primary reason? Building owners, systems integrators, and operators are demanding interconnected systems that let them remotely monitor and manage their BAS—including optimizing HVAC, lighting, and security systems to save big on energy and other costs.

1. Energy monitoring and reduction is driving transformation in building automation.

It’s no secret that buildings are energy hogs. It’s also no secret that energy efficiency has become a pressing, global issue. Reducing your carbon footprint is an absolute must as energy policies, legislation, regulations, and mandates continue to impact how those who own or operate buildings do business.

Fortunately, energy-saving opportunities are everywhere, and with the help of advanced technologies, you have the power to implement energy efficiency measures that modernize and transform your energy performance.

At MSA FieldServer, we continually remind our customers that “what gets measured gets managed.” FieldServer’s BACnet IoT gateway and other building automation solutions enable seamless, Cloud-based connection, giving you real-time, contextualized insight about your energy savings opportunities—without interrupting or disrupting your building tenants or occupants.

2. Automation is key in helping organizations achieve their ESG goals.

It takes a sound strategy, a strong commitment, and innovative resources to reach the bold environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals most organizations have set for themselves. Thankfully, automation is proving to be a powerful ESG tool.

Whether you have your own EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) Department or not, building automation is helping organizations drive sustainability improvements, ensure compliance with government regulations, reduce operational costs, and realize the tax credits and incentives that can come with implementing a robust ESG strategy.

Here’s how:

• Energy waste reduction: From using IoT sensors to identify leaks to remotely adjusting HVAC and lighting systems, building automation can help drastically cut energy consumption and, consequently, energy-related costs.
• Data-informed insight: Automation is helping organizations move away from a “fix-it-when-it-fails” operational mindset and take a more “predict-and-pre-empt-it” one.
• Carbon footprint impacts: Automation-enabled smart buildings use connected systems to enable intelligent data collection, facilitate clear and timely communication, and provide situational awareness of environmental conditions, so building owners and facilities managers can visualize and manage their systems today to achieve a net-zero emissions outcome tomorrow.

3. Cloud-based systems offer more flexible management of BAS.

When it comes to BAS, one of the key benefits is having the ability to detect and measure a wide range of data points, including temperature, humidity, air quality, lighting conditions, security, and noise levels. Add in Cloud-based management and you gain even more control of your systems and IoT sensors.

Here are just a few examples:

• Immediately respond to changing conditions, such as adjusting HVAC settings based on occupancy levels.
• Monitor power consumption of individual or collective building assets and equipment.
• Leverage detailed insights from sensors to benchmark and identify inefficiencies.
• Optimize the environment for occupant health, comfort, and well-being.
• Predict and proactively manage equipment performance and environmental conditions to reduce downtime and save on maintenance expenses.

4. Secure, integrated systems are non-negotiable.

With all their benefits, smart buildings with state-of-the-art BAS still need to be mindful of systems and data protection.

“While companies are responsible for evaluating their own data privacy obligations for themselves and their workers, MSA has considered issues related to data privacy in the development of our connected work platform, with the goal of making compliance with those regulations easier for you,” says Kim Karr, Senior Corporate Counsel.

The bottom line is that cybersecurity is essential to ensuring that data is available to those who should have it and unavailable to those who shouldn’t.

“Data integrity is about making sure that data remains safe from any outside forces,” explains Stephan Adler, MSA Safety io Operations Manager. “That means backup processes and recovery systems become essential if physical integrity is compromised.”

This is why cybersecurity is a crucial component of our Grid platform. Here’s a quick overview of our three-pillar approach:

1. Key partnerships: We work with industry-leading companies to achieve a higher level of protection. For example, our infrastructure is built using AWS (Amazon Web Services), which is known for being the most secure global Cloud infrastructure.
2. Built-in expertise: We’ve curated a top-notch team of cybersecurity specialists who are actively involved in architecture planning and design decisions. This means we’re constantly evaluating for risk, as well as ensuring that we’re using the most secure design principles.
3. Best practices: We employ a framework that lets us consider cybersecurity in every aspect of our work. Plus, this framework is certified by an accredited third-party vendor to be compliant with the internationally recognized standards for information security and privacy, ISO/IEC 27001:2013.

Expert Insight

Are you interested in learning more about building automation trends? If you’re not already a subscriber, we invite you to sign up for MSA’s monthly newsletter, THE ADVISOR. Learn more about trending topics and best practices, get instant access to videos and online tutorials, and stay in the know about industry events where you can meet our industry experts.

Of course, you can also reach out today to ask questions about building automation trends or learn more about our best-in-class building automation solutions.