Best building management system for data centers
Milvian AI teamFacilities and infrastructure intelligence
The BMS runs the mechanical side of a data center. It should sit beside DCIM and the electrical power monitoring system, share their data, and never put uptime at risk.
BMS, EPMS and DCIM
Most operators run three monitoring systems. The BMS controls mechanical plant: chillers, cooling towers, pumps, CRAH or CRAC units and economizers. An electrical power monitoring system watches switchgear, UPS and generators. DCIM tracks racks, power per cabinet and capacity. Each sees part of the picture, and none of them alone explains a rising PUE.
Demand is climbing fast. DOE reported in December 2024 that data centers used about 4.4 percent of US electricity in 2023 and could reach 6.7 to 12 percent by 2028. Cooling is the largest non-IT load, so the BMS decides much of the overhead.
What the system has to do
| Requirement | Why it matters here | Ask the vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Keep redundancy visible. | N+1 plant only helps if the standby unit works. | How do you show the health of standby equipment? |
| Share data with DCIM and EPMS. | Cooling decisions need IT load and power data. | Which DCIM and power systems can you read? |
| Trend supply temperatures. | Raising supply air within ASHRAE ranges cuts chiller work. | Can you trend supply and return by hall? |
| Meter the cooling plant. | PUE needs mechanical energy measured, not estimated. | Which plant items get their own meter? |
| Change nothing without approval. | Uptime outranks savings. | How are commands approved and logged? |
Standards and where this is going
ASHRAE TC 9.9 publishes the thermal guidelines most operators use for allowable inlet temperatures, and ISO/IEC 30134 defines PUE and WUE. In Europe, the Energy Efficiency Directive requires large data centers to report energy and water performance to a European database.
Global figures point the same way: the IEA puts 2024 consumption at about 415 TWh and projects about 945 TWh by 2030. Expect grid operators and regulators to ask for more measured detail as that load grows.
Running the evaluation
- Map the three systemsList what BMS, EPMS and DCIM each measure today.
- Instrument cooling firstPut meters on the mechanical equipment before anything else.
- Read only at firstRun in monitoring mode for a full season before any control.
- Test one setpoint changeWith operations approval, raise supply temperature in one hall and measure.
Where Aqueduct fits
Aqueduct reads the mechanical plant over BACnet and Modbus and draws the electrical single line in aQ EnergySmart, from utility supply through switchboards to feeders, with power factor, losses and loading against rated capacity. aQ WaterGuard covers tower make-up and blowdown. Control is optional and comes last: where control is enabled, with owner approval, commands are logged with lockouts that prevent short cycling.
Sources
| Source | Link |
|---|---|
| US DOE, LBNL data center report release, December 2024 | energy.gov |
| IEA, Energy and AI, 2025 | iea.org |
