Leveraging the Web: A Universal Framework for Building Automation

Building automation systems today employ an array of communication protocols, data formats, and software platforms. Some of these are proprietary, others are standards-based, but in neither case can true integration and interoperability be achieved. We describe a new framework for building automation that is based on multiprotocol network devices and a common object model and that leverages the Web to enable heterogeneous building automation systems to be rapidly and efficiently implemented and managed. Applications of this framework to energy management, equipment monitoring, and demand-response strategies are outlined.