About

BAS Coach Fred Hayward

In 1996 I was hired by a School District to serve as a master electrician as well as use my computer skills to bring all of their buildings into the digital age.  Digital building automation systems were newly hatched then and with the size of the project and measured funding per annum, that dream took two decades to reach fruition.

My employer over that time always encouraged my pursuit of week-long trainings in building automation system (BAS) controllers of various types and manufacturer.  My job also allowed me years of hands on work in mechanical spaces tweaking, adjusting, replacing and reprogramming the various components and controllers.

In 1997 when the first digital upgrades were happening in our buildings the going thing was Johnson Controls Metasys.  There was virtually no offsite window into the system at first and alarming was done through pagers.  But it was a big step up from the mechanical timers and pneumatic controls that the buildings were utilizing.

Many upgrades over the years (usually rolled into building projects) introduced us to more and more intuitive systems, remote accessibility improvements, more robust alarming and integration with web tools like Dude Solutions (formerly School Dude) for scheduling BAS occupancies and smart alarms that could create work orders automatically with email and text notifications if desired.  

With the coming of age of smart phones and tablets, we were able to make the system available to our technicians, anywhere, anytime thus allowing them to test and evaluate components in the field and make overrides from home or abroad.

The system I have left my former employer with is very close to the one I'd envisioned over twenty years ago with a few bells and whistles I'd never dreamed of.  I have been able to fully integrate all of their BAS assets under one platform [Tridium / Niagara] which can pull in data from any system or protocol.  My final push was to integrate the BAS system with  FMX, the current industry leader in online facilities management tools.

That is a little bit of my background.  In the tabs above, explore what I see as the recurring challenges and possible solutions for large organizations similar to the School District I have served.  Alternately, simply fill out the form to the right to request consultation to see how I might be able to help your organization today.

My work as an electrician over the past decades has also introduced me to interesting innovations in lighting and Bluetooth lighting controls as the LED market has exploded.  I may have some practical advice in that area as well if you are interested.  Speaking of light, my personal website is actually all about The Source of Light and growing in it and is simply a blog about my journey in life and faith.  You can find it at photonfarms.com.