Distributed control for distributed systems

Distributed control systems have major advantages over centralised systems and they are widely used in buildings today. It is indicated that distributed control systems must be designed and commissioned with a mind to the overall operation and optimisation of the system under control. It is important that the different parts of a distributed system can be interconnected via a capable communications network. This applies to any HVAC or refrigeration plant where energy from one piece of plant is distributed into multiple devices. As the amount of processing power available and the communications capability within controllers is increased there is more scope for the control system to optimise the operation of such plant by coordinating the operation of the system as a whole. The renewed emphasis on energy savings makes it important to use these systems to their full potential