Performance assessment device for monitoring and comparing attributes of a building management system over time

Abstract

A performance assessment device for evaluating a building management system (BMS). The device includes a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to communicate with a BMS network, the BMS network in communication with the BMS. The device further includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive data related to the BMS via the communication interface. The processing circuit is further configured to evaluate the data related to the BMS to generate a current assessment of the attributes of the BMS, and to compare the current assessment of the attributes of the BMS to a previously determined assessment of the attributes of the BMS.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing software vulnerability information for a building management system (BMS) over time, the method comprising:
 generating a first assessment of the BMS at a first time, the first assessment comprising at least one selected from a group of:
 an inventory assessment that identifies one or more controllers installed in a building at the first time, one or more supervisory devices installed in the building at the first time, one or more servers associated with the building at the first time, or one or more points associated with the building at the first time; 
 a performance assessment that identifies performance issues associated with one or more control strategies for equipment in the building at the first time or performance issues associated with the one or more supervisory devices installed in the building at the first time; and 
 a feature assessment that identifies one or more BMS user interface features being underutilized by the building at the first time; and 
   presenting a user interface that allows a user to view a side by side comparison of the first assessment and a second assessment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the performance assessment is performed and allows identifies an HVAC device that does not have an operating schedule associated therewith and provides an indication of energy savings predicted to result from configuring the operating schedule for the HVAC device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface allows the user to view one or more new controllers that have been installed in the building between a second time associated with the second assessment and the first time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inventory assessment is performed and the user interface provides a report listing the one or more controllers or the one or more supervisory devices recommended for a firmware update. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the user interface allows the user to transmit the firmware update to the one or more controllers or to the one or more supervisory devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the performance assessment provides an indication of equipment in the building with a dirty filter associated therewith and one or more issues resulting from the dirty filter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising identifying the dirty filter by determining that a pressure drop across the dirty filter is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         8 . A building management system (BMS) comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement operations comprising:
 generating a first assessment of the BMS at a first time, the first assessment comprising at least one selected from a group of:
 an inventory assessment that identifies one or more controllers installed in a building at the first time, one or more supervisory devices installed in the building at the first time, one or more servers associated with the building at the first time, or one or more points associated with the building at the first time; 
 a performance assessment that identifies performance issues associated with one or more control strategies for equipment in the building at the first time or performance issues associated with the one or more supervisory devices installed in the building at the first time; and 
 a feature assessment that identifies one or more BMS user interface features being underutilized by the building at the first time; and 
 
 presenting a user interface comprising a link to a filter report or a firmware report, the filter report providing a list of controllers associated with a dirty filter, the firmware report providing a list of controllers having firmware recommended for an update. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface that allows a user to view a side by side comparison of the first assessment and a second assessment and wherein the performance assessment identifies an HVAC device that does not have an operating schedule associated therewith and provides an indication of energy savings predicted to result from configuring the operating schedule for the HVAC device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface that allows a user to view a side by side comparison of the first assessment and a second assessment and wherein the user interface allows the user to view one or more new controllers that have been installed in the building between a second time and the first time. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface that allows a user to view a side by side comparison of the first assessment and a second assessment and wherein the inventory assessment recommends a firmware update associated with the one or more controllers or the one or more supervisory devices. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface allows the user to transmit the firmware update to the one or more controllers or the one or more supervisory devices. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface that allows a user to view a side by side comparison of the first assessment and a second assessment and the performance assessment provides an indication of one or more issues resulting from the dirty filter. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , the operations further comprising identifying the dirty filter by determining that a pressure drop across the dirty filter is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         15 . A device for comparing attributes of a building management system (BMS) over time, the device comprising:
 one or more processing circuits configured to implement operations comprising:
 generating a first assessment of the BMS at a first time, the first assessment comprising at least one selected from a group of:
 an inventory assessment that identifies one or more controllers installed in a building at the first time, one or more supervisory devices installed in the building at the first time, one or more servers associated with the building at the first time, or one or more points associated with the building at the first time; 
 a performance assessment that identifies performance issues associated with one or more control strategies for equipment in the building at the first time or performance issues associated with the one or more supervisory devices installed in the building at the first time; and 
 a feature assessment that identifies one or more BMS user interface features being underutilized by the building at the first time; and 
 
 presenting a user interface that allows a user to view a comparison of the first assessment of the BMS at the first time to a second assessment of the BMS at a second time, the second time occurring prior to the first time, wherein the comparison comprises a critical issue indication, a preventative maintenance indication, or a key task indication. 
   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the comparison is presented in a side-by-side format. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the critical issue indication is presented and comprises a firmware vulnerability indication. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the preventative maintenance indication is presented and comprises an out of date firmware indication. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the key task indication is presented and comprises a backup database indication. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising identifying a dirty filter by determining that a pressure drop across the dirty filter is greater than a threshold, and wherein the user interface provides an indication of the dirty filter.