Commercial buildings

Office towers, campuses, retail and hotels: HVAC, lighting, elevators, hot water and energy benchmarking.

How FacilityOS helps

Platform modules used

Segments

Systems and equipment

Core: every site of this kind has it. Common: most sites have it. Optional: depends on the site.

Central plant

Central plant for towers and campuses.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
ChillerOffice tower · Campus · HotelCoreCHW supply temp · CHW return temp · Load · Power draw · Efficiency · FaultMid-size plant chillers on BACnet/IP.
Cooling towerOffice tower · Campus · HotelCoreFan speed · Condenser water supply temp
PumpOffice tower · Campus · HotelCoreRunning · Speed · Differential pressure
Hot-water boilerCoreHot water supply temp · Hot water return temp · Firing rate · Flue gas temp · Fault
Heat-recovery chiller / heat pumpOptionalHot water supply temp · Chilled water supply temp (recovery side) · Power draw · Combined COPHeat recovery displacing boiler gas — one of the main decarbonization levers.
Absorption chillerOptionalCHW supply temp · Crystallization alarm
Plate heat exchangerCommonSecondary supply temp · Approach · Primary pressure drop
Pressurization / expansion unitCommonSystem pressure · Low pressure alarm · Make-up today
Chilled-water storage tankOptionalState of charge
Ice storageOptionalIce inventory
Cooling tower chemical treatmentCommonConductivity · Chemical drum low
District heating substationOptionalSecondary supply temp
Hot-water boiler burner controlCommonFiring rate · Burner lockout

Air handling & ventilation

Comfort, air quality and energy.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
VAV air handlerOffice tower · CampusCoreSupply air temp · Duct static pressure · Supply fan speed · Outdoor air damper · Fan power
VAV zoneOffice tower · CampusCoreRoom temp · CO2 · Airflow
Rooftop unitRetail · HotelCoreSupply air temp · Zone temp · Power draw
Energy recovery unitCommonOutdoor airflow · Recovery effectiveness
IAQ sensorCommonCO2 · Relative humidity · TVOC
Garage CO exhaustOffice tower · HotelCommonCarbon monoxide · Fan speed · CO high alarm
Exhaust fanHotel · RetailCommonRunning · SpeedKitchen exhaust.
VRF outdoor unitCommonPower · Error code
VRF indoor unitCommonRoom temp
Chilled beam / radiant panelOptionalRoom temp · Condensation alarm
Electric heaterOptionalHeating power · High limit tripped
Weather stationCommonOutdoor temp · Wind speed

Commercial refrigeration

Retail cases.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
Refrigeration rackRetailCoreSuction pressure · Compressors running · Refrigerant leak level
Split DX / condensing unitCommonSuction pressure · High-pressure trip

Lighting

Schedules and occupancy.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
Lighting control panelCoreLight level · Lighting power · Schedule overridden
Motorized shadesOptionalPosition · Wind lock
Presence / occupancy sensorCommonOccupied · Battery

Elevators

Entrapments matter most to tenants.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
ElevatorOffice tower · Hotel · CampusCoreCurrent floor · Door fault · Passenger entrapment

Domestic water & hot water

High-zone pressure and Legionella control.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
Domestic water boosterOffice tower · Hotel · CampusCoreDischarge pressure · Flow
Domestic hot waterHotel · Office tower · CampusCommonStorage temp · Mixed outlet temp
Water tank / reservoir levelCommonLevel · Low level · Overflow level
Domestic hot water recirculationCommonReturn temp
Legionella risk monitoringCommonRisk score
Water softenerCommonOutlet hardness · Salt low
Sewage ejector / grease interceptorCommonLevel · High level · Grease layer
Rainwater harvestingOptionalCistern level · Turbidity
Irrigation controllerOptionalZones watering · Flow alarm (break)

Power & metering

Tenant billing and benchmarking.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
Building main meterCoreBuilding power · Energy today · Power per sq ft
Tenant submeterOffice tower · Retail · CampusCoreTenant power · Energy today
GeneratorCommonRunning · Output power · Fuel tank level · Starting battery voltage · Not in AUTO
EV chargersCommonPorts in use · Charging power
Rooftop solar inverterOptionalSolar output
Natural gas meterCommonNatural gas flow · Heat input (1,037 BTU/scf) · Gas today (scf)Natural gas in scfh, converted to BTU/h by heating value.
Ring main unitCommonSF6 low · Fault passage indicator
Microgrid controllerOptionalGrid exchange · Islanded
Fuel cellOptionalOutput · Fault
Automatic capacitor bankCommonPower factor · Capacitor current, measured / rated · Resonance alarm · Switching operations today
Power factor controllerCommonPower factor · Under-compensated · Over-compensated
Phase unbalance compensatorOptionalCurrent unbalance after · Unit load
Residual current monitor (RCM)CommonLargest residual current · Residual current alarm
Surge protective device (SPD) statusCommonSPD failed · Backup breaker open

Guest rooms & hotel amenities

Guest-room comfort and service requests, kitchen suppression, laundry and pool water.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
Guest room control unitHotelCoreOccupied · Key card in slot · Room temp · Do not disturb · Make up room · Door ajarRoom controls such as INNCOM or Interel through a BACnet gateway.
Fan coil unitHotelCoreDischarge air temp · Fan speed · Valve position · Fault
Kitchen exhaust hoodHotelCoreExhaust airflow · Duct temp · Fire suppression dischargedNFPA 96 / UL 300; discharge shuts the gas automatically.
Laundry washer-extractorHotelCommonWash water temp · Power · Loads today
Pool circulation & treatmentHotelCommonPool water temp · Free chlorine · pH · Circulation flow
Motorized shadesOptionalPosition · Wind lock
Revolving doorCommonRunning · Fault
Background music systemCommonZones playing · Amplifier fault
Digital signageCommonScreens offline
Sauna / spa heaterOptionalRoom / water temp · High limit
Snow-melt systemOptionalSlab temp

Mall shoppers & public areas

Footfall, escalators, parking and water features shape the shopper experience.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
EscalatorShopping mallCoreStep speed · Safety switch tripped (comb plate / handrail / stop) · FaultASME A17.1; a tripped safety switch needs staff at once.
Parking guidanceShopping mallCommonFree spaces · Occupancy · Garage full
Footfall counterShopping mall · RetailCommonVisitors per hour · Visitors today · Share of design capacity
Water featureShopping mallOptionalBasin level · Free chlorine
Kitchen exhaust hoodShopping mallCommonExhaust airflow · Duct temp · Fire suppression dischargedFood court.
Refrigeration rackShopping mallCommonSuction pressure · Compressors running · Refrigerant leak levelSupermarket refrigeration.
Revolving doorCommonRunning · Fault
Trash compactorCommonFullness · Full
Background music systemCommonZones playing · Amplifier fault
Digital signageCommonScreens offline

Life safety Monitor only

Monitor only.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
Fire alarm panelCoreFire alarm · Supervisory signal · Trouble signalMonitor only (NFPA 72).
Fire pumpCommonRunning · System pressure · Power phase failure
Sprinkler riserCommonRiser pressure · Waterflow alarm · Valve tamper
Smoke exhaust fanCommonRunning · Damper not provenSmoke exhaust or stair pressurization fans; monitor only.
Fire / smoke damperCoreClosed · Position fault · Days since test
Stair pressurization fanCoreStair pressure · Fault · Not in AUTO
Central emergency lighting supply (EPS)CoreBattery fault · Days since 90-min test
Fire door monitoringCommonClosed doors found open
Voice evacuation systemCoreAmplifier fault · Evacuation active

Security & video Monitor only

Camera and door status, and video linkage: cameras are linked to areas, devices and alarm rules; on an alarm the gateway takes an ONVIF snapshot and attaches it to the alarm, with a live-view link to the NVR/VMS. Core never contacts a camera.

EquipmentLevelPoints worth watchingNotes
Video cameraCommonOnline · Recording · Motion detected · Video analytics alarm · Tamper (blocked or moved)Status via the VMS (Milestone, Genetec…); on an alarm the gateway takes an ONVIF snapshot and attaches it to the alarm — Core never contacts a camera.
Access-controlled doorCoreDoor open · Door held open · Door forced
Intrusion alarm panelCommonIntrusion alarm · Tamper
IntercomCommonCalls waiting
Visitor managementOptionalVisitors on site · Watch-list hit
Guard tourOptionalMissed checkpoints · Man-down alarm

Life-safety equipment (fire alarm, gas detection, emergency power transfer) and protection devices are monitored only. FacilityOS never sends them commands.

Standards and compliance

Standards and complianceNotes
ASHRAE 90.1Energy standard for buildings except low-rise residential.
ASHRAE 62.1Ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality.
ASHRAE Guideline 36High-performance sequences of operation for HVAC systems.
ASHRAE 188Legionellosis: risk management for building water systems.
ENERGY STAR Portfolio ManagerEnergy benchmarking and scoring tool.
NFPA 72 / NFPA 101Fire alarm code; Life Safety Code.
ASME A17.1Safety code for elevators and escalators.

Standards are listed with what they cover; numeric values are typical figures, not requirements for every site. FacilityOS supports your compliance work; it does not certify a site.

KPIs the platform tracks

KPIs the platform tracksNotes
Energy use intensityAnnual kBtu per square foot.
Zones out of comfortZones out of temperature or CO2 range.
Peak demandMonthly demand peak.
Elevator availabilityShare of time in service.

Reports

ReportsNotes
Tenant energy billingFrom tenant submeters.
Benchmarking reportFor ENERGY STAR and local building performance ordinances.
Comfort & IAQ reportTemperature and CO2 excursion time.

How we deliver

We can take a Commercial buildings project from survey and design through procurement, installation, commissioning and training — all of it, or only the stages you need.

  1. Site survey & needs assessment
  2. Solution design
  3. Procurement
  4. Installation
  5. Commissioning & acceptance
  6. Training
  7. Go-live & support

Demo site

Denver HQ Tower

A 32-storey, 480,000 sq ft multi-tenant tower: central plant, VAV air handling, four elevators and a standby generator.

Open the Denver HQ Tower demo site to see this industry with simulated live data: process graphics, video wall, alarm drills and remote adjustment.

Try the live demo

Orlando Lakeside Resort

A 25-storey, 620-key resort: central plant, guest-room fan coils and room controls, kitchen exhaust and suppression, laundry, pool, three elevators and a standby generator.

Open the Orlando Lakeside Resort demo site to see this industry with simulated live data: process graphics, video wall, alarm drills and remote adjustment.

Try the live demo

Houston Westpark Mall

A 1.2 million sq ft enclosed regional mall: central plant, atrium and food-court air, atrium smoke control, supermarket refrigeration, three escalators, parking guidance, footfall counting, a water feature, tenant metering and rooftop solar.

Open the Houston Westpark Mall demo site to see this industry with simulated live data: process graphics, video wall, alarm drills and remote adjustment.

Try the live demo

See it with your own equipment

Open the live demo now, or tell us about your site and we will map your equipment and systems to FacilityOS.