Reusing domain ontologies in linked building data : the case of building automation and control

Linked data and semantic web technologies are gaining impact and importance in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Facility Management (AEC/FM) industry. Whereas we have seen a strong technological shift with the emergence of Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools, this second technological shift to the exchange and management of building data over the web might be even stronger than the first one. In order to make this a success, the AEC/FM industry will need strong and appropriate ontologies, as they will allow industry practitioners to structure their data in a commonly agreed format and exchange the data. Herein, we look at the ontologies that are emerging in the area of Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS). We propose a BACS ontology in strong alignment with existing ontologies and evaluate how it can be used for capturing automation and control systems of a building by modeling a use case.