by Shane Henson — October 22, 2012—The need to increase energy efficiency and savings while implementing green and sustainable measures is driving the uptake of building automation systems in North America, according to new research from Frost & Sullivan, published in Analysis of the North American Building Automation Systems Market.
The report analyzes the North American building automation systems (BAS) market, divided by building-level controllers and application software. It also forecasts total BAS market revenues and explores what drives and restrains the North American market.
With legislation that imposes certain energy efficiency standards on buildings, such as the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, building owners and facilities managers are opting to install building automation systems to meet the more stringent requirements, according to the report. Also, since buildings account for 40 percent of all energy use in the United States, the need to monitor systems within the building to reduce energy consumption is a key factor prompting growth in the building automation systems market.
“The potential to achieve energy savings by installing building automation systems is a major driver in the market,” said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Alejandra Lozano. “In addition, supportive policies and energy mandates that set higher energy efficiency requirements fuel the demand for building automation.”
On the other hand, the perception of high cost and the lack of common protocols are limiting revenue growth. The economic downturn and slowdown in construction activity are also anticipated to restrict growth in the short term.
“Suppliers are faced with end users that are scrutinizing every purchase and demanding cost-effective systems that also provide energy savings,” explained Lozano. “Although building owners and facility managers are increasingly realizing the benefits of installing building automation systems, the high initial cost continues to be a concern.”
Nonetheless, as the economy recovers and construction activity picks up, the market should witness steady growth for the next few years. Educating customers about the lifecycle cost benefits of installing a building automation system and highlighting the energy savings that are achievable with it will also be crucial for success in the market, the report notes.
“Many building owners have the perception that the cost of installing a building automation system is high due to the cost of the equipment as well as the cost of the integration and installation services,” said Lozano. “Manufacturers need to steer customer focus away from the initial cost towards the long-term benefits of installing a building automation system.”
