States that integrated building automation systems (BAS) are increasingly used in buildings, including research facilities. However, integration features such as monitoring, trending and data analysis largely remain underutilised. Presents a detailed methodology for using direct digital control based BAS to determine the complete energy characteristics of laboratories. States the analysis is necessary in order to evaluate energy conservation strategies, including a comparison between variable air volume and constant air volume systems. Presents a case study for an institutional building. Emphasises the methodology and application of using a BAS for data collection and analysis.

KEYWORDS: Laboratories, energy consumption, building management, controls, computer controls, case studies, energy management.